


























































A MANUAL 


ON THE 


CHRISTIAN SABBATH, 

BY JOHN HOLMES AGNEW. 


WITH 

AN INTRODUCTORY ESSAY, 


BY THE 

REV. S. MILLER, D.D. 



PHILADELPHIA: 

PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 

No. 265 CHESTNUT STREET. 





Entered according to the Act of Congress in the year 1852, by 
Alexander W. Mitchell, M. D. 

In the office of the Clerk of the District Court for the 
Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 


By Transfer 

A). C. Public Libntfy 




INTRODUCTORY ESSAY, 

BY SAMUEL MILLER, D. D. 

ritOFESSOR OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY AND CHURCH GOVERN. 
MENT IN THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
AT PRINCETON, N. J. 


In our inquiries concerning the Christian Sabbath, 
few things are more interesting or instructive than 
its history. The judicious and worthy author of 
the following excellent Lectures, has expressed an 
Opinion that the consecration of one day in seven to 
rest from bodily labor, and to the service of God, 
may be traced back very distinctly to the close of 
the work of creation. The reasons which he offers 
in support of this opinion will not here be repeated. 
They will probably be deemed sufficiently solid by 
most readers. From the moment there was a man 
upon the earth, it seems to have been the will of God 
that a seventh part of time should be consecrated to 
his service. It is quite certain that much, very much, 
is made of the Sabbath throughout the whole of the 
Old Testament, and, especially, that the Prophets, 
in all their reflections on the melancholy past, and 
.n all their anticipations of the portentous future, 



iv INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 

represent the sanctification of the Sabbath as lying 
at the foundation of all temporal as well as spiritual 
prosperity, and the neglect of this divine institution 
as most certainly drawing down the destroying judg¬ 
ments of God on those who indulged it. This fea¬ 
ture of the prophetic parts of the Old Testament, 
is too prominent to escape the notice of any intelli 
gent reader. The Prophets dwell much more on 
moral than ceremonial observances; and denounce 
the terrors of the Almighty much more frequently 
and solemnly against delinquencies with regard to 
the former than the latter. Yet who that has read 
their thrilling pages has failed to observe that the 
desecration of the Sabbath is the object of their con¬ 
stant and most emphatic proclamations of Divine 
wrath; and represented as that great and radical 
sin, which, more than most others, is adapted to un¬ 
dermine religious character, and to destroy nations ? 
In fact, there is no sin, unless, perhaps, it may be 
that o H idolatry, which is more heavily censured, or 
more awfully threatened, throughout their writings, 
than the breach of the Sabbath. Surely, such lan¬ 
guage as the following ought to make a deep im¬ 
pression upon every reflecting mind: Blessed is the 
man that Jeeepeth the Sabbath from polluting it. 
Even them will I bring to my holy mountain , and 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. V 

make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their 
burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accept¬ 
ed upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called 
an house of prayer for all people. But if ye will 
not hearken unto me to hallow the Sabbath day, then 
will I kindle afire in your gates, and it shall de¬ 
vour your palaces, and it shall not be quenched. 
Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign 
between me and them, and that they might know that 
I am the Lord that sanctify them. Yet they despised 
my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but 
polluted my Sabbaths. As I live, saith the Lord 
God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretch- 
ed-out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule 
aver you. And I will cause you to pass under the 
rod, and will bring you into the bond of the cove¬ 
nant. Thus saith the Lord, because they have for¬ 
gotten me, and cast me behind their back, and de¬ 
filed my sanctuary, and profaned my Sabbaths — 
Behold, I will bring up a company upon them, and 
will give them to be removed and spoiled. Thus 
saith the Lord, because they have profaned my holy 
things ; because they have put no difference between 
the holy and the profane, and have hid their eyes 
from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them; 
therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon 
A 2 


Vi INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 

them ; I have consumed them with the fire of my 
wrath; their own way have I recompensed upon 
their heads , saith the Lord. If thou turn aivay thy 
■foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on 
my holy day ; and call the Sabbath a delight , the 
Holy of the Lord , Honorable ; and shalt honor 
Him , not doing thine own ways , nor finding thine 
own pleasure , nor speaking thine own words : then 
shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord ; and I will 
cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth , 
and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father ; 
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. 

None, it is presumed, will be surprised at this 
language, who consider the consecration of one day 
in seven to the service of God, not as a mere ritual 
observance , but as an undoubted duty of Moral and 
Perpetual Obligation. That this is the case 
with the Holy Sabbath, as laid down in the fourth 
commandment , is well established by our Author in 
the second Lecture in the following series. It has 
been sometimes said, that the fourth commandment, 
though it holds a place among other commands, all 
of which are allowed to be of universal and per¬ 
petual obligation, cannot now be considered as in 
force, because it enjoins the observance of the seventh 
day of the week, which is now generally acknow 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. VU 

iedged, among Christians, not to be the Christian 
Sabbath. This inference, however, can by no 
means be admitted. The commandment in ques¬ 
tion cannot be considered as fixing the precise day, 
in order, which ought to be observed; but only as 
requiring that, after six days of labor, the seventh 
should be a day of rest, and be kept holy. Strictly 
speaking, then, in this sense, the Christian Sabbath 
is as much the seventh day as the Jewish Sabbath 
was; that is, it is as much the seventh part of the 
week, and succeeds to six days of labor as really 
as the Hebrew Sabbath did. The fourth command¬ 
ment, then, far from being repealed or altered, is as 
much in force as ever, and applies as perfectly to 
the New Testament Sabbath as to that of the Cere¬ 
monial economy; and, of course, ought to be re¬ 
garded as establishing the moral and perpetual obli¬ 
gation to devote one day in seven to the service of 
God, just as indubitably as other parts of the same 
code render obligatory at this hour, and will for ever 
render obligatory, abstinence from idolatry, venera¬ 
ting Jehovah’s name, honoring parents, or speaking 
the truth to our neighbors. 

With regard to the change of the Sabbath, undSr 
the New Testament dispensation, from the seventh 
to theirs* day of the week, the enlightened Author 


Vili INTRODUCTORY ESSA*. 

of the following Lectures has written so well, that 
further enlargement on the subject in this Introduc¬ 
tory Essay is deemed unnecessary. It will be more 
to our purpose to take a cursory survey of the his¬ 
tory of the ancient Church in regard to the obser¬ 
vance of this important institution of our holy reli¬ 
gion. Mr. Agnew has most correctly stated that 
the “ ancient Fathers of the first and second centu* 
ries” testify, that the early Church ever sanctified 
a weekly Sabbath, and carefully attended to those 
public and private observances which belonged to it 
as a day of holy rest. It may not be either unin¬ 
teresting or useless to state a little more in detail the 
views and habits in reference to this subject, which 
the early records of the Church enable us to ascer¬ 
tain. 

The younger Pliny, who was the contemporary 
and friend of the emperor Trajan, and for some 
time, during the reign of that emperor, governor of 
Bithynia, in giving an account to his master of the 
practices of the Christians in his day, states, that 
“their custom was to meet together early in the 
morning, before it was light, on a stated day, to 
sing a hymn to Christ as God, and bind themselves, 
by a Sacrament , to do no evil,” &c. From this 
testimony, it is evident that the early Christians had 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. IX 

a fixed or stated day on which they convened to 
worship God. The testimony of Ignatius,* who 
suffered martyrdom early in the second century, is 
still more explicit. He exhorts the Magnesians 
“ no longer to observe Sabbaths , (i. e. the Jewish 
Sabbaths,) but to keep the LordSs-day , on which 
our Life was raised from the dead.” Clemens 
Alexandrinus also speaks of the day under the 
same title, as a day the observance of which was 
incumbent on Christians. Dionysius, bishop of 
Corinth , who lived toward the latter part of the 
second century, is quoted by Eusebius as stating the 
fact, that the Christians in his time “ observed the 
Lord’s-day as a holy day.” Melito, bishop of 
Sardis , who lived about the same time, is also 
represented by the same historian as having written 
a book “concerning the Lord’s-day.” Irena:us, 
toward the close of the same century, in writing to 
Victor, bishop of Rome , says “ The mystery of 


* It is known to all well-informed readers, that the genuineness 
of the Epistles of Ignatius has been deeply questioned by the 
most learned divines and ecclesiastical historians who have writ¬ 
ten for the last two hundred and fifty years. The evidence of 
interpolation in reference to one subject, is so abundant, that the 
writer of these pages would never think for a moment of quoting 
him as a witness on that subject. In reference to other subject#, 
however, he would quote him freely and without scruple. This 
is also known to be the opinion of some candid friends.of prelacy. 



X 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 


the Lord’s resurrection ought to be celebrated only 
on the Lord’s-day.” Origen also calls the first 
day of the week “ the Lord’s-day,” and distinguishes 
it from the Jewish Sabbath, to which he says, une¬ 
quivocally, it ought to be preferred. 

But when the early Christians had occasion to 
peak to the Pagans concerning this sacred day, 
hey commonly called it Sunday , the title by which 
it was most familiarly known to the mass of the 
heathen population. Thus, Justin Martyr, in his 
Apology , addressed to the Emperor, says, “We all 
meet together on Sunday , on which God, having 
changed darkness and matter, created the world, 
and on this day Jesus Christ our Saviour rose from 
the dead.” Thus, also, his contemporary, Tertul- 
lian, in reply to the accusation of the heathen, that 
the Christians worshipped the Sun, says, “We do, 
indeed, make Sunday a day of joy, but for other 
reasons than that of worship to the sun, which is 
no part of our religion.” At other times, when the 
same father is speaking to his fellow Christians, he 
commonly uses the title of “ the Lord’s-daymore 
especially when it is his purpose to distinguish it 
from the Jewish Sabbath. In like manner, the first 
Christian emperors use the names “Sunday” and 
( Lord’s-day ” alternately, acccording as it was their 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. Y1 

purpose to address Pagans or Christians. Of this 
we have a remarkable specimen in the language of 
Valentinian the younger, when he says, “ On 
Sunday, which our forefathers very properly called 
‘ the Lord’s-day.’ ” In short, it is perfectly eviden 
from the earliest and most authentic records, tha 
the first day of the week, from the time of the Apos¬ 
tles, was statedly observed by the Christian Church 
that the favorite title by which they spoke of it, was 
“the Lord’s-day;” and that when they called it 
“ Sunday,” it was in accommodation to the popular 
usage of the Pagans around them, who, in adopting 
the measure of time by weeks, and in giving names 
to the days of the week, gave the name of “ the day 
of the sun” (dies solis) to the first.* This day 
was also sometimes called, by the early Christians, 
“ the day of bread,” {dies panis ,) because the 
“ breaking of bread,” as a memorial of Christ, or, 
in other words, administering the Lord’s supper, in 
many churches, made a part of the stated service 
of every Lord’s T day. 

As to the manner in which the early Christians 
sanctified the Lord’s-day, it may not be uninterest¬ 
ing to state a few particulars. And here it must be 
borne in mind that the Christians, during the apos 


Bingham’s Origines Ecclesiastics. B. xx. c. ii. 1, 2. 



*ii INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 

tolic age, and for more than two centuries after 
wards, were severely and constantly persecuted* 
During a large portion of this time, they were not 
permitted openly to assemble in peace for the public 
worship of God; but were often obliged to come 
ogether by a kind of stealth; before day, or after 
ight-fall. This is evident from the account given 
y Pliny, before alluded to, who states that the 
Christians were accustomed to meet before it was 
light, on this day, and sing their morning hymns to 
Christ. In like manner, Tertullian, in answer 
to one who asked how they should celebrate the 
solemnities of the Lord’s-day, when exposed to the 
violence of the Pagan soldiery, replied, that they 
should do it as the Apostles did, by faith, and not 
by bribing them; for if faith could remove moun¬ 
tains, it could much more easily remove a soldier 
out of the way. But that, if they could not meet 
by day, they had the night sufficiently clear, with 
the light of Christ, to protect them. Tie same 
author tells the heathen, who had maliciously 
charged them with murdering and devouring an in¬ 
fant in their assemblies, that they were often beset, 
often betrayed, nay, daily seized in their religious 
assemblies. But yet that no one ever found them 
acting such a tragedy; no one ever gave evidence 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. xili 

of their being such Cyclops and Syrens before a 
judge. Nay, they were sometimes barbarously 
murdered in their assemblies, the laws forbidding 
them to meet, and the government refusing to license 
their places of worship, charging them with being 
unlawful cabals, where they met only to plot trea¬ 
son and rebellion against the rulers. Under this 
pretence, as Lactantius and Eusebius both tell 
us, one of the heathen magistrates burnt a whole 
city, in Phrygia , together with the house in which 
many of the inhabitants were assembled to worship 
God. The imperial laws forbidding them to meet 
for religious worship, are distinctly mentioned by 
Pliny, as well as by several Christian writers. So 
that it is evident, that in those days of persecution, 
the Christians could not meet for ‘the purpose of 
public worship but at the hazard of their lives.* 
Still they did not think this a sufficient reason 
for “ forsaking the assembling of themselves toge 
ther.” In spite of all the opposition and dangei 
which they had to encounter, they met continually, 
every Lord’s-day, to solemnize the appointed ser¬ 
vices. Of the manner in which they sanctified the 
day, the learned Bingham makes the following 
statement. 


Bingham’s Origines Ecclesiastics. B. xx. 

B 



XIV INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 

“ They not only rested from bodily labor, and 
secular business, but spent the day in such employ¬ 
ments as were proper to set forth the glory of the 
Lord, to whose honor the day was devoted. That 
is, in holding religious assemblies, for the celebra¬ 
tion of the several parts of divine service, as psalm¬ 
ody, reading of the scriptures, preaching, praying, 
and receiving the communion—all which were the 
constant service of this day. And such was the 
flaming zeal of those pious votaries, that nothing 
but sickness, or a great necessity, or imprisonment, 
or banishment, could detain them from it; and then, 
also, care was taken that the chief part of it, the 
communion, was administered to them by the bands 
of the Deacons, who carried it to those who were 
sick or in prison, that, as far as possible, they might 
still communicate with the public congregation.” 
This is plain from the account which Justin Mar¬ 
tyr gives of their worship: “ On the day called 
Sunday, all that live in city or country meet 
together, and the writings of the Apostles and Pro¬ 
phets are read to them, after which the bishop or 
president of the assembly makes a discourse to the 
oeople, exhorting them to follow the good things 
they have heard; then we all rise up together, and 
offer prayers; and when prayers are ended, bread 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. XV 

and wine and water are brought to the president, 
who prays and gives thanks, according to the bes. 
of his ability, over them, the people answering, 
Amen. After which, distribution is made of the 
elements to all who are present, and they are sent 
to the absent by the hands of the deacons.” By 
this account it appears that all Christians joined, as 
far as was possible, in the public service of the 
Lord’s-day, and particularly in receiving the com¬ 
munion, from which the absent were not exempt, if 
there was any possibility of receiving it. # 

In the religious exercises of this day, among the 
early Christians, there were some peculiarities 
worthy of notice. They supposed that the first day 
of the week, as it is observed as a memorial of our 
Lord’s resurrection, ought to be kept as a season 
of humble, grateful joy; and, therefore, that there 
was a kind of spiritual incongruity in fasting on 
that day. Of course, setting apart the Lord’s-day 
as a fast-day was considered as a departure from 
the spirit and purpose of the day. Tertullian 
says, they counted it a crime to fast on this day ; 
and Ambrose bears the same testimony. Another 
practice, founded on the same principle, and as 
rigidly inculcated and enforced, was, in all worship, 


Origines Ecclesiastics, xx. 2. 



XVI 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 


public and private, to pray standing on the Lord’s 
day. On this day it was considered as unlawful to 
kneel. This posture was reserved for days of fast* 
ing and humiliation. The early Christians laid so 
much stress on this rule, and enforced it so rigidly, 
that we find no case of exception to the practice, 
but that of penitents , under ecclesiastical discipline, 
who were required to pray kneeling, even on this 
day of devout joy. The learned Bingham observes, 
that this practice was so fixed, general, and long 
continued, that he is unable to determine when the 
contrary practice of kneeling on the Lord’s-day 
was introduced. 

But attending on public worship with diligence, 
and, as it would seem, through a large portion of 
the hours of every Lord’s-day, was by no means 
the whole of that sanctification of the day which 
the early Christians considered as incumbent upon 
them. They carefully abstained from all servile 
labor, except what became necessary in discharg¬ 
ing works of necessity and mercy. And when the 
empire became Christian, and, of course, the author¬ 
ity fell into Christian hands, this abstinence from 
all worldly labor, and all secular employments, was 
enforced by the imperial laws. The scrupulosity 
of the Jews, indeed, in the observance of their Sab- 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. Xvi, 

was not inculcated. It was allowed to labor 
in fighting, to preserve men’s lives against an ene¬ 
my ; in toiling at the helm and oar, to escape the 
violence of a tempest; in travelling to Church, to 
attend on the service of God; in dressing food for 
sustaining life; in delivering man or beast, when in 
manifest danger of death; in a word, their law on 
the subject was, that every kind of work was to be 
abstained from that could be avoided, and the whole 
of the Lord’s-day devoted to the service of God. 

Upon the same principle, when the empire be¬ 
came Christian, all proceedings at law were for¬ 
bidden and suspended; excepting such as were 
absolutely necessary , or involved the exercise of 
important charity —such as the regiilar appoint¬ 
ment of curators and guardians for oi'phans ; 
taking legal measures to guard against injury or 
loss by fire ; or going through the forms necessary 
for the manumission of slaves . . With respect to 
these, and a variety of similar things specified in 
their laws, when they could not be postponed with¬ 
out great injury to the cause of humanity, they 
were allowed to be attended to on the Christian 
Sabbath, so far as to obviate the evils which would 
otherwise be incurred.* 


* Bingham, B. xx. 

B 2 



XVl’ii INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 

Public and popular amusements were also inter¬ 
dicted, among Christians, on the Lord’s-day, from 
an early period; and when the empire became 
Christian, were prohibited by law, and under severe 
sanctions. No ludicrous sports, games, or recrea¬ 
tions, however lawful at other times, were allowed 
on this day. The theatre, the horse-race, the cir¬ 
cus, the diversion of hunting, the amusement of 
dancing, of luxurious feasting, and every kind of 
dissipating pleasure, were solemnly forbidden, and 
in many cases visited with heavy penalties. In 
short, the law of the Church forbade every occupa¬ 
tion or amusement which was adapted in any mea¬ 
sure to turn a day of spiritual and sacred rest, into 
a day of carnal indulgence. 

In regard to the utility and importance of the 
Lord’s-day, Mr. Agnew has acquitted himself so 
well, that little need be added to his representation 
of the subject. It is probable, however, that if our 
author had prepared his Lectures for the press 
within the last three months, he would have taken 
some notice of a most interesting body of testimony 
recently presented to a Committee of the British 
House of Commons, appointed to deliberate and 
report on some further provision for securing the 
observance of the Sabbath. A mass of testimony 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 


XIX 


has seldom been presented to the public on any 
subject more adapted to instruct and impress than 
that of which I speak. Ecclesiastics, and secular 
men, of different professions, were called before the 
Committee, and interrogated a§ to their belief of the 
utility of the Sabbath; the mischiefs arising from 
its neglect; and their acquaintance with any facts 
which were adapted to manifest the value and the 
necessity of this great and inestimable Christian 
Institution. It was truly edifying and deeply im¬ 
pressive to find ministers of the Gospel, worldly 
men, eminent Physicians, as well as those who 
were distinguished in other walks of secular life, 
all concurring in the conclusion, not only that the 
consecration of one day in the week, as a day of 
sacred rest, is essential to the moral and spiritual 
interests of men, but that it is no less essential to 
their intellectual and physical well-being • 
that the Physician and the Lawyer as really need 
a day of rest in each week from the toils of their 
respective professions—to refresh and invigorate 
their minds as well as their bodies, and to prevent 
the mischiefs of exhaustion —as the moral man and 
the Christian need a sanctified Sabbath to benefit 
.heir souls, and prepare them for the joys of that 


XX 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 


Eternal Sabbath which remains for the people 
of God. 

Is it possible for a reflecting mind to resist the 
power of such testimony as this? Can even the 
atheist, who wishes well to the physical constitution 
of his species, and to the peace, order and strength 
of civil society, refuse any longer to yield to the 
light of testimony which indubitably establishes— 
if “ all men are not liars”—that the weekly rest of 
the Sabbath cannot be dispensed with without deep 
injury to every individual and family in the com¬ 
munity; without impairing the vigor both of our 
bodies and minds; without prematurely destroying 
the beasts which serve us; without laying the 
foundation of disease in every department of our 
nature: in short, without conferring a morbid cha¬ 
racter upon all the vitals of our temporal prosperity , 
to say nothing of that corruption of moral princi¬ 
ple, that degradation of moral character, in a word, 
those countless forms, and that measureless amount, 
of moral evil to which it inevitably leads ? 

The truth is, it would seem that the great Gov¬ 
ernor of the world has not more deeply or indelibly 
impressed upon our whole nature the evidence that 
food and sleep and temperance are indispensable to 
the healthful exercise of our faculties, than that the 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. XXI 

regular observance of the weekly Sabbath is essen¬ 
tial to the security of all our best interests as intel¬ 
lectual, corporeal and moral beings; and that just 
in proportion as we disregard it, we draw down 
upon ourselves physical and moral injury. It is 
not necessary to our reception of this fact, that we 
are able to fathom all its reasons. It is enough that 
the fact be established, and by testimony which 
cannot be suspected of leaning to the side of what 
it has been convenient for some to stigmatize under 
the name of “ puritanical strictness.” g 

The subject of the following Lectures, then, is 
one which does not merely concern the Christian. 
It is a subject in which every father of a family 
who wishes to train up his children in the paths of 
honor and usefulness,—every good citizen, every 
patriot, every statesman, every friend to the best 
intellectual and physical culture of his species, 
ought to take a deep and cordial interest. He who 
contemns and disregards the Lord’s-day, may think 
that he means well; may make high professions of 
his patriotism, and boast of his light and benevo¬ 
lence ; but he is undoubtedly acting a part hostile 
to the best interests of the community. He is, 
undoubtedly, exerting a pestiferous influence, the 
mischief of which may extend further, and lairi 


XXii INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 

longer than the most zealous advocate for the sanc¬ 
tification of the day was ever able to unfold. 

The practices of many decent worldly men iri 
our community, who, though they make no profes¬ 
sion of practical piety, yet claim to be cordial re¬ 
specters of religion, and to be friendly to the Sab¬ 
bath ; and the habits of some inconsistent profess¬ 
ors of religion, in regard to the observance of this 
sacred day; are such as well deserve their serious 
consideration. They allow that the Sabbath is a 
divine institution, and of inestimable importance. 
That, as it secures a regular suspension, one day 
in seven, of worldly labor; a careful cleansing from 
the dust and dirt of the week, and appearing in 
decent habiliments; a serious and orderly attend¬ 
ance on public worship; and an opportunity of the 
most favorable kind for meditating on moral and 
spiritual subjects; it ought to be countenanced and 
maintained by every well-wisher to human happi¬ 
ness. Yet they argue and act upon the principle, 
that what is called the “ strict ” method of sancti¬ 
fying the Sabbath is not binding upon Christians at 
present. But that, after the usual attendance on 
public worship, it is innocent and useful to indulge 
in a little relaxation—in social visiting —in riding 
abroad for health and pleasure—and in moderate, 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. Xxiii 

well-regulated feasting with select friends. To 
these things they frequently add, the perusal of 
newspapers and novels , the writing of letters on 
business, and the various forms of private and 
social amusement which are adapted to kill time, 
and to obviate the intolerable weariness which the 
exercises of religion are apt to induce in the minds 
of those who have but little taste for them. 

Could such persons take even a glance, with 
Christian eyes, at the natural and unavoidable con¬ 
sequences of their conduct; could they trace with 
intelligence and candor the immediate and obvious 
effects of the indulgences which they think so inno¬ 
cent ; they could not possibly fail of coming to the 
conclusion, that their habits are essentially hostile 
to the best interests of religion' and society. Are 
not their social visiting, their rides of pleasure, and 
their luxurious feasting, adapted to turn away their 
minds from the spiritual employments which ought 
to occupy the day, and to diminish their taste for 
such occupations ? When such amusements imme¬ 
diately follow the public service of the sanctuary, 
do they not fend to banish from the mind all those 
serious impressions which that service may have 
induced 1 Do not all these dissipating employments 
necessarily occupy servants, and compel them to be 


XXIV INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 

absent from the house of God, to engage in servile 
labor, often as great, and sometimes much greater, 
than is common on the secular days of the week, 
and thus cut them off from all the advantages of 
the Sabbath ? And can any one doubt that even 
the short hours which those who indulge in these 
habits actually spend in the sanctuary of God, are 
rendered much less profitable, if their profit be not 
wholly destroyed, by the dissipating influence of 
social amusements, or by the heaviness which is 
the natural consequence of luxurious feasting ? In 
short, is it not evident that these encroachments on 
the appropriate sanctification of the Sabbath, are 
not merely adapted to rob God of a large part of 
that holy time which he claims as his own; but 
also to unfit those who indulge in them for em¬ 
ploying in a suitable manner even the remaining 
hours which they professedly devote to his service ? 
Thus they “wrong their own souls;” injure their 
servants; set an example to their neighbors which 
can scarcely fail of exerting a mischievous influence 
to an undefinable extent; and render the Sabbath 
as an appointment of God, less beneficial to all 
around them. 

Besides, every thinking and conscientious man, 
as he will endeavor to “ do to others as he would 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. XXV 

that they should do to himso he will feel bound 
to act, in all cases, upon principles which he would 
be willing should be the principles of universal 
action. Now, suppose every member of this 
nominally Christian * community were to spend his 
f Sabbaths, as is actually done by those of whom I 
have just spoken. Suppose all were to employ a 
large part of every Lord’s-day in visiting, in riding 
abroad, in feasting, and in the various forms of 
more decent dissipation in which thousands of nom¬ 
inal Christians think it harmless to indulge: who 
does not see that the Sabbath would be the most 
busy, stirring, and even laborious day in the week 1 
Who does not see that all the domestics in society, 
all the animals which serve us, and all the indi¬ 
viduals who live by ministering to the wants and 
the comforts of others, as well as those to whom 
they minister, would find the Sabbath the most 
busy day in the week, and little, very little, either 
of time or of heart left for its appropriate employ¬ 
ments ? 

It is perfectly manifest, then, that if we desire to 
sanctify the Sabbath in such a manner as will, in 
any tolerable degree, secure to ourselves, our ser¬ 
vants, our domestic animals, and the community at 
large, the essential benefits of the day, it can only 
C 


XXV* INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 

be accomplished by “ a holy resting all the day 
even from such worldly employments and recrea¬ 
tions as are lawful on other days, and spending the 
whole time in the public and private exercises of 
God’s worship, except so much as may be taken up 
in works of necessity and mercy.” Just in propor¬ 
tion as we deviate from this plain, simple, and 
Christian view of the subject, we nullify the Sab¬ 
bath, as to its main design, and destroy its most 
hallowed and precious influence both on ourselves 
and others. 

The following eloquent appeal, by a distinguished 
Layman, of the British Parliament, cannot be read 
without feeling that it is worthy of the most serious 
consideration of all who bear the Christian name. 

“ Let us appeal to that day which is especially 
devoted to the offices of religion. Do they joyfully 
avail themselves of this blessed opportunity of 
withdrawing from the business and the cares of 
life; when, without being disquieted by any doubt, 
whether they are not neglecting the duties of their 
proper callings, they may be allowed to detach 
their minds from earthly things, that by a fuller 
knowledge of heavenly objects, and a more habit¬ 
ual acquaintance with them, their hope may grow 
1 full of immortality V Is the day cheerfully devo- 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 


XXV11 


ted to those holy exercises for which it was appoint¬ 
ed ? Do they indeed £ come into the courts of God 
with gladness V And how are they employed when 
not engaged in the public services of the day ? Are 
they busied in studying the word of God, in medi¬ 
tating on his perfections, in tracing his providential 
dispensations, in admiring his works, in revolving 
his mercies, (above all the transcendant mercies of 
redeeming love,) in singing his praises, and ‘ speak¬ 
ing good of his name?’ Do their secret retirements 
witness the earnestness of their prayers, and the 
warmth of their thanksgiving, their diligence and 
impartiality in the necessary work of self-exami¬ 
nation, their mindfulness of the benevolent duty of 
intercession? Is the kind purpose of the institu¬ 
tion of a Sabbath answered by them in its being 
made to their servants and dependants a season of 
rest and comfort? Does the instruction of their 
families, or of the more poor and ignorant of their 
neighbors, possess its due share of their time ? If 
blessed with talents, or with affluence, are they 
sedulously employing a part of their interval of 
leisure in relieving the indigent, and visiting the 
sick, and comforting the sorrowful, in forming plans 
for the good of their fellow-creatures, in consider¬ 
ing how they may promote both the temporal and 


XXV111 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 


spiritual benefit of their friends and acquaintance 1 
or, if their’s be a larger sphere, in devising mea¬ 
sures whereby, through the divine blessing, they 
may become the honored instruments of the more 
extended diffusion of religious truth 1 In the hours 
of domestic or social intercourse, does their con¬ 
versation manifest the subject of which their hearts 
are full ? Do their language and demeanor show 
them to be more than commonly gentle, and kind, 
and friendly, free from rough and irritating pas¬ 
sions V 9 

“ Surely, an entire day should not seem long 
amidst these various employments. It might well 
be deemed a privilege thus to spend it in the more 
immediate presence of our heavenly Father, in the 
exercises of humble admiration, and grateful hom¬ 
age; of the benevolent, and domestic, and social 
feelings, and of all the best affections of our nature, 
prompted by their true motives, conversant about 
their proper objects, and directed to their noblest 
end; all sorrow mitigated, all cares suspended, all 
fears repressed, every angry emotion • soflened, 
every envious, or revengeful, or malignant passion 
expelled; and the bosom, thus quieted, purified, 
enlarged, ennobled, partaking almost of a measure 
of the heavenly happiness, and become for a while. 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 


XXIX 


Lhe seat of love, and joy, and confidence, and har¬ 
mony.” 

“ The nature, and uses, and proper employments 
of a Christian Sabbath, have been pointed out more 
particularly, not only because the day will be found, 
when thus employed, eminently conducive, through 
the Divine blessing, to the maintenance of the reli¬ 
gious principle in activity and vigor; but also be¬ 
cause we must all have had occasion often to re¬ 
mark, that many persons, of the graver and more 
decent sort, seem not seldom to be nearly destitute 
of religious resources. The Sunday is with them, 
to say the best of it, a heavy day; and that larger 
part of it which is not claimed by the public offices 
of the church, dully draws on in comfortless vacui¬ 
ty, or, without improvement, is trifled away in vain 
and unprofitable discourse. Not to speak of those 
who, by their more daring profanation of thip sacred 
season, openly violate the laws, and insult the reli¬ 
gion of their country,—how little do many seem to 
enter into the spirit of the institution, who j*re not 
wholly inattentive to its exterior decorums ! How 
glad are they to qualify the rigor of their relgious 
labors! How hardly do they plead against being 
compelled to devote the whole of the day to reli¬ 
gion ; claiming to themselves no small merit for 
C 2 


XXX 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 


giving up to it a part, and purchasing, therefore, as 
they hope, a right to spend the remainder more 
agreeably! How dexterously do they avail them¬ 
selves of any plausible plea for introducing some 
week-day employment into the Sunday, whilst they 
have not the same propensity to introduce any of 
the Sunday’s peculiar employment into the rest of 
the week 1 How often do they find excuses for 
taking journeys, writing letters, balancing accounts; 
or, in short, doing something, which, by a little 
management, might probably have been anticipated; 
or which, without any material inconvenience, might 
be postponed! Even business itself is recreation, 
compared with religion ; and from the drudgery of 
this day of sacred rest, they fly for relief to their 
ordinary occupations.” 

“ Others, again, who would consider business as 
a profanation, and who still hold out against the 
encroachments of the card-table , get over much of 
the day, and gladly seek for an innocent resource, 
in the social circle, or in family visits, where it is 
not even pretended that the conversation turns on 
such topics as might render it in any way condu¬ 
cive to religious instruction or improvement. Their 
families, meanwhile, are neglected; their servants 
robbed of Christian privileges; and their example 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. XXXI 

quoted by others, who cannot see that they are 
themselves less religiously employed, while playing 
an innocent game at cards, or relaxing in the con¬ 
cert-room.” 

“But all these several artifices, whatever they 
may be, to unhallow the Sunday, and to change its 
character, (it might be almost said to ‘ relax its hor¬ 
rors,’) prove but too plainly, however we may be 
glad to take refuge in religion, when driven to it by 
the loss of every other comfort, and to retain as it 
were a reversionary interest in an asylum which 
may receive us when we are forced from the tran¬ 
sitory enjoyments of our present state; that in 
itself it wears to us a gloomy and forbidding as¬ 
pect, and not a face of consolation and joy; that 
the worship of God is with us a constrained and 
not a willing service, which we are glad therefore 
to abridge, though we dare not to omit it.” # 

Another testimony from a layman, and a states¬ 
man, still more illustrious— I mean Sir Matthew 
Hale, Lord Chief Justice of the British Court of 
King’s Bench, and one of the most learned and 
able men of the seventeenth century—is in the fol¬ 
lowing strong language—language worthy of being 
inscribed in letters of gold in every Christian dwell- 


* Wilberforce’s Practical View. Chap. IV. Sec. 2. 



XXXii INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 

mg on earth. It is contained in a letter to his 
grand-children, toward the close of a long, active, 
and eminently useful life. 

“ I will acquaint you with a truth that above 
forty years 5 experience, and strict observation of 
myself, hath assuredly taught me. I have been 
near fifty years a man as much conversant in busi¬ 
ness, and that of moment and importance, as most 
men ; and I will assure you, I was never under any 
inclination to fanaticism, enthusiasm, or supersti¬ 
tion.” 

“ In all this time, I have most industriously ob¬ 
served, in myself and my concerns, these three 
things—first, whenever I have undertaken any secu¬ 
lar business on the Lord’s-day, (which was not 
absolutely and indispensably necessary,) that busi¬ 
ness never prospered and succeeded well with me.” 

“ Nay, if I had set myself that day but to fore¬ 
cast or design any temporal business, to be done or 
performed afterwards, though such forecast and de¬ 
sign were just and honest in themselves, and had as 
fair a prospect as could be effected, yet I have been 
always disappointed in the effecting of it, or in the 
success of it. So that it grew almost proverbial 
with me, when any importuned me to any secular 
business that day, to answer them, that if they sus- 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. XXxiil 

pected it to succeed amiss, then they might desire 
rny undertaking of it upon that day. And this was 
so certain an observation of me, that I feared to 
think of any secular business that day, because the 
resolution then taken would be disappointed or un¬ 
successful.” 

“ That always the more closely I applied myself 
to the duties of the Lord’s-day, the more happy and 
successful were my business and employments of 
the week following. So that I could, from the 
loose or strict observance of that day, take a just 
prospect, and true calculation of my temporal sue 
cesses in the ensuing week.” 

“ Though my hands and mind have been as full 
of secular business, both before and since I was a 
judge, as it may be any man’s in England, yet I 
never wanted time in my six days to ripen and fit 
myself for the business and employments I had to 
do, though I borrowed not one minute from the 
Lord’s-day to prepare for it by study, or otherwise. 
But, on the other hand, if I had at any time bor¬ 
rowed from this day any time for my secular em¬ 
ployments, I found it did further me less than if 1 
had let it alone: and, therefore, when some years’ 
experience, upon a most attentive and vigilan - 
observation, had given me this instruction, I grew 


XXXiv INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 

peremptorily resolved never in this kind to make 
a breach upon the Lord’s-day, which I have now 
strictly observed for above thirty years. This 
relation is most certainly and experimentally true, 
and hath been declared by me to hundreds of per¬ 
sons, as I now declare it to you.” 

If this be so—if every desecration of the Lord’s- 
day be not only a sin against God, but also against 
our own interest and happiness—how great is the 
infatuation as well as the guilt of those, in high 
and in low places, who seem to think that every por¬ 
tion of time they can filch from this holy day, and 
devote to their pleasures or their gains, is so much 
clear profit! They may make their robbery of 
God a source of temporary gain; but it will be 
gain loaded with a curse. The Lord of the Sab¬ 
bath can and will, sooner or later, avenge his own 
cause, and manifest that the prosperity sought and 
acquired by such impious means is anything but a 
real blessing. 

The advance of our country, within the last ten 
years, in what is expressed by the general term of 
“ internal improvement,” is, in some respects, a 
most animating spectacle. To see our principal 
rivers navigated by so many beautiful and conve¬ 
nient Steam-Boats ; and every part of our union 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 


XXXV 


intersected by Canals and Rail-Roads , furnishing 
facilities of intercourse of the most extraordinary 
kind, and binding together the most distant parts of 
our confederated republics by ties more powerful 
than Constitutions and Laws can form—presents to 
the patriot a prospect of the most intense interest. 
But, if that patriot be an intelligent Christian , he 
will perceive in this exterfded scene one feature 
which will fill him with anguish and deep apprehen¬ 
sion. I refer to that deplorable profanation of the 
Lord’s-day which is so conspicuous on all the lines 
of our Steam-Boats, Canals, and Rail-Roads, and 
on some of them so obtrusively and shamefully con¬ 
spicuous, as if the object were to insult as well as 
to rob God ,* and to render public feeling as speedily 
and as thoroughly as possible callous to the outrage 
on all religious decorum, by giving to it all possible 
familiarity and publicity. Is it not a fact, that, in 
a community nominally Christian, and in the midst 
of the richest Gospel privileges, our public convey¬ 
ances are studiously made so attractive, by cheap¬ 
ness of fare, by crowds, and by every species of 
public allurement, in their Sabbatical excursions, 
that their gains are far greater on that day, than on 
any other day of the week ? What is this but 
realizing anew, in substance, the old “ Book ot 


XXXVi INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 

Sports,” so famous in the land of our fathers, and 
so hateful to the memory of every intelligent Chris¬ 
tian? With this material difference, that the profa¬ 
nations of the sacred day which we lament among 
ourselves, though countenanced by multitudes of 
nominal Christians, are not yet sanctioned by legal 
authority, nor proclaimed with approbation from 
our pulpits. • 

It is hardly necessary to ask, in the language of 
his own word—“ Shall not God be avenged on such 
practices as these?” The truth is, they carry a 
curse with them. The malediction of a holy God 
is manifest in the characteristics which accompany, 
and in the consequences which uniformly follow in 
their train. They are naturally, I had almost said 
unavoidably, connected with so much intemperance, 
impiety, profaneness, domestic disorder, waste of 
precious time, and the contraction of various cor¬ 
rupting habits; so much adapted to attract and as¬ 
semble the profligate, and to render them still more 
hardened and expert in wickedness—that no one 
who has witnessed them once, can ever doubt that, 
as they originate in impiety, so they tend indefinite¬ 
ly to deepen and extend those corrupt habits which 
destroy domestic peace, and poison all the fountains 
of social and political happiness. 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. XXXvil 

O that, in these circumstances, we had some 
pious and faithful Nehemiah, or Ezekiel, —as in 
days of old,—to stand up before this whole nation, 
and, as the Lord’s witness, to bear testimony against 
the violation of the Sabbath, and to call the people 
to repentance and reformation! Above all, O that 
when, in this respect, “ the enemy is coming in like 
a flood,” and when so many who occupy high places 
in society are, practically at least, joining the ranks 
of the adversary, and cheering him on, the Spirit 
of the Lord might “ lift up a standard against him,” 
and thus save us from that aggravated guilt, and 
those national judgments, from which it would re¬ 
quire a course of miracles to deliver us unless we 
repent and reform! 

After all, however, there is no hope of the Sab¬ 
bath being really sanctified, in any scriptural, or 
truly edifying manner, unless there be some taste 
for its appropriate duties . There may be, indeed, 
without this, a mere negative observance, in other 
words, a decent abstinence from outward and disre¬ 
putable violations of the day. But unless there be 
some relish for the spiritual employments of the 
Sabbath; unless there be some degree of taste for 
the retired and appropriate employments of the de¬ 
rout worshipper, there can be no genuine, accepta- 
D 


XXXvili INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 

ble sanctification of the day. The public eye may 
be satisfied; but the individual himself will no 
reap any spiritual advantage. There may be a 
frigid, inoffensive observance; but there will be no 
eal Sabbath, to benefit the Church as a body, or to 
dify the individual Christian. 

Hence the exceeding great importance of endea¬ 
voring to train up children and youth , from their 
earliest years, in an habitual and deep reverence 
for the Lord’s-day. Connected with this thought, 
it has often occurred to the writer of these intro¬ 
ductory pages, to ask, whether some method might 
not be adopted to dispel the gloominess which chil¬ 
dren, in pious families, are too apt to connect with 
the scriptural and becoming observance of this holy 
day ? He who should frame any plan for accom¬ 
plishing, in a good degree, this object, would be a 
real benefactor to the Church and to the world. It 
cannot be doubted that the object may be, in some 
measure, attained by wise management. No attempt 
will be made, at present, to propose a distinct plan 
for this purpose. Yet if the suggestion of a few 
hints on the subject should be the means of exciting 
some more competent counsellors to improve and 
extend them hereafter, the writer will be abundant¬ 
ly rewarded. 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 


XXXIX 


The difficulty most serious, among children, and 
most desirable to be avoided, is making the exercises 
of the Sabbath a mere drudgery . Whatever, then, 
can be done to prevent this, and to cause the youth¬ 
ful mind to take an interest in the reading, and in 
the subjects of study prescribed, instead of regard¬ 
ing them as an irksome task , will be a most import¬ 
ant gain in this matter. With respect to children 
from five to ten years of age, various methods may 
be adopted to awaken their curiosity, and engage 
their attention. Selections from the Bible, especial¬ 
ly of the historical kind, accompanied by illustra¬ 
tive cuts and prints , addressed to the eye, and com¬ 
mented upon by parents or other teachers, can 
scarcely fail of exciting and gratifying the tenderest 
minds. Other pious works, adapted to the weakest 
capacities, and illustrated and adorned in the same 
manner, for the sake of diversifying the objects of 
attention, would naturally be productive of the same 
effects. In regard to children more advanced and 
intelligent, the happiest results have flowed from 
their being required every Sabbath, immediately 
after returning from the hearing of each sermon, 
to reduce the substance of it to writing, and to read 
the notes so taken, as an exercise on Sabbath eve¬ 
ning. This leads to increased attention in hearing; 


xl INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 

to habits of review and reflection afterwards; anif 
to those various forms of intellectual effort, which 
at once interest and gratify the youthful individual 
at the time, and gradually, but most surely, pro¬ 
mote the strengthening and enlargement of his 
faculties; to say nothing of that growth in solid 
theological and scriptural knowledge, which is more 
important than all the rest, and which is thus ac¬ 
quired by means of a process which may, doubt¬ 
less, be so managed as to be regarded less as a task 
than as a recreation. 

To these exercises might be added others, equally 
calling for pleasant effort to most young minds, and 
equally adapted to promote the intelligent study of 
the Scriptures. Such as giving to each youth a 
select portion from the word of God, to be the sub¬ 
ject of study and writing; for example, a striking 
character —as that of Abraham , Joseph , Moses , 
Solomon , Peter , or John ; —a type ; a miracle ; a 
prominent historical fact —as the f ood , the 
tower of Babel , the departure out of Egypt , the 
expulsion and destruction of the Canaanites , the 
building of the Temple , the Babylonish captivity 
the circumstances of the Saviour’s birth, the fina‘ 
destruction of Jerusalem , &c. If subjects of this 
nature were given to young people, from ten to six- 



INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. xll 

teen or eighteen years, to be considered and written 
upon, and access to commentators and other good 
helps freely afforded them,—how much improve¬ 
ment might not result from the exercise, both to the 
children themselves, and their parents or instructors 
in reviewing their work ? Christian parents would 
have an additional inducement, in these circumstan¬ 
ces, to provide their families with the best Com¬ 
mentaries within their reach, and with a small 
selection of good books, which would be connect¬ 
ed with a sensible enlargement of the habits of 
reading and thinking, — and, of course, the best 
kind of reading,—both among young and old. 

Besides the employments above suggested, there 
might be other scriptural exercises assigned, no less 
adapted to interest the youthful mind, to bring it in 
contact with the Bible, and, at once, to store it with 
sacred knowledge, and to beget habits of reflection. 
Such, for example, as selecting some conspicuous, 
leading text of Scripture on a given subject, and 
requesting children to search out, and array in their 
order, parallel texts; and also presenting certain 
moral and theological topics for consideration—as 
the sin of lying—disobedience to parents—forgive¬ 
ness of injuries—the folly of worldly ambition— 
the advantages of humility—remarkable answers 
D 2 


Xlli INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 

to prayer—the duty of patience—the sin of evil¬ 
speaking, &c.,—and inducing them briefly to put 
their thoughts on such topics on paper, in the form 
of short essays, and deriving support to the opinions 
which they express both from reason and Scripture. 

Were exercises of this kind, occasionally alter¬ 
nated, and otherwise diversified, assigned to chil¬ 
dren and young people, from Sabbath to Sabbath ; 
and assigned not so much as a task, as a 'privilege, 
and, if possible, as a reward, and with all those 
circumstances of kindness and even of occasional 
approbation, where it can be sincerely bestowed, 
which wise and pious parents know how judiciously 
to employ—the consequences might be confidently 
expected, by the divine blessing, to be both pleasant 
and salutary;—to render such children familiar 
with the Bible, without making its perusal a burden; 
and to enable them to understand its contents with¬ 
out the formality of reminding them at every step 
that this was the purpose. Indeed, there is reason 
to believe, that if this plan of spending the intervals 
of public worship on the Lord’s-day, were zealously 
adopted, and wisely pursued, it would render that 
day the ploasantest day of the week to children— 
and cause them to anticipate its return with interest, 
and be almost sorry when it came to an end; while 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. iliU 

it would make the carrying into execution the plan, 
on the part of parents, as delightful and instructive 
to themselves, as it could be to their beloved off¬ 
spring . 

But on these suggestions it would be improper 
further to enlarge. To Christian parents of sincere 
and intelligent piety, the slightest hints will be suffi¬ 
cient to set their minds at work in the execution of 
plans which may be endlessly modified by the pecu¬ 
liar situation of themselves or their children. Let 
it only be observed, that the great master principle 
of all sound education,—and of the moral and reli¬ 
gious part of it, as well as every other,—is as early 
as possible to teach them to think —to impart 

TO THEM AN INTEREST IN THINKING-and, above 

all, to make thinking on the contents of the 
Bible interesting and delightful. 

One topic more, and these introductory remarks 
will be closed. The worthy Author of the follow¬ 
ing Lectures generally speaks of the Lord’s-day 
under the title of the Sabbath. To this title some 
have objected; alleging, that as that was the title 
of the Jewish day of rest, and as we deem it im¬ 
portant to distinguish between the Old Testament 
rest on the seventh day of the week, and that of the 
first day of the week, under the New Testament 


Xliv INTRODUCTORY ESSAY, 

economy; so we ought to employ a different word, 
in all cases, to designate the latter day. This ob¬ 
jection seems to have hut little foundation either m 
reason or Scripture. It is undoubtedly true, that, 
in the second and third centuries, we find the Chris¬ 
tian Fathers carefully distinguishing between the 
Jewish “ Sabbath,” and the “ Lord’s-day because, 
when the change in the day occurred, it was insist¬ 
ed by the Jewish converts, who formed the great 
body of the first Christians, that the seventh day 
ought still to be consecrated to the worship of God. 
The Gentile Christians, therefore, in order to con¬ 
ciliate the Jews, and allure them into the Church, 
honored their Sabbath ; so that, for several hundred 
years, both days were considered as holy days, and 
devoted to religious purposes, through the greater 
part of Christendom. The Eastern and Western 
Churches, indeed, were not entirely of one mind as 
to the precise character of that celebration of the 
Jewish Sabbath, which ought to be adopted by 
Christians. Hence, in the East , the seventh day 
of the week was generally observed as a festival , 
as well as the first; while in the West, it was gen¬ 
erally kept as a fast . This diversity of practice, 
and the degree of collision which grew out of this 
diversity, rendered it, not merely convenient, but 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. xlv 

absolutely necessary, that the distinction between 
the two days should be constantly maintained. 
Hence the exhortation by Ignatius, quoted in a 
preceding page,—“ No longer to observe Sabbaths 
but to keep the. Lord 1 s-day” In short, the lan¬ 
guage used by the early Christians, when speaking 
of this day, seems to have been constantly dictated 
by the occasion on which they spoke, and the per¬ 
sons addressed. The apostolic writers commonly 
style it the “ first day of the week,” because their 
minds were full of it as a precious memorial of their 
Master’s glorious resurrection from the dead on 
that day. Toward the close of the century, and 
for a long time afterwards, the favorite title of the 
day was the “ Lord’s-day,” as an affectionate me¬ 
mento of the whole character and work of Him to 
whose kingdom and honor it was devoted. When 
The early Christians had occasion to speak of this 
day to the heathen, they called it, as we have be¬ 
fore seen, “ Sunday,” in conformity with the Pagan 
title given to the first day of the week. And when 
they were called to distinguish between this day 
and the Jewish Sabbath, which they also kept, but 
with less solemnity, they called it by any of the 
names before mentioned, but more commonly than 
otherwise by that of the “ Lord’s-day.” 


Xlvi INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 

If it be asked what title ought to be given to this 
season gf sacred rest, by us, at the present day, I 
answer, the name is of small importance, provided 
it be distinctly understood. Perhaps, however, 
“ the Lord’s-day” is, on the whole, the most eligible 
title, and it were to be wished it might be brought 
into general use, as the most strictly appropriate, 
and evangelically expressive. But this object can 
probably never be attained. There is something 
about this title which will for ever prevent it from 
being familiar on the popular lip. On the othef 
hand, it is to be lamented that the Pagan title of 
“ Sunday ” has taken such deep root in the nomen¬ 
clature of Christian society. The early Christians 
seldom used it, but when they were addressing the 
Pagans. And although it would be going to an 
extreme in scrupulousness to plead a conscientious 
objection to the use of this title, because it is Pagan 
in its origin, which would equally apply to all the 
other days of the week; yet there seems to be some 
solid reason for choosing a Bible name for that day 
which is so important for keeping alive religion in 
our world, and which holds so conspicuous a place 
in the language of the Church of God. Among 
all the names answering this description, the title 
of “ the Sabbath,” or “ the Christian Sabbath,” is, 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. xlvil 

in my opinion,—next to the “ Lord’s-day,”—deci¬ 
sively the most eligible. I, therefore, have no 
objection to Mr. Agnew’s adoption of this title 
throughout his work. It is convenient, expressive, 
and unexceptionable. 

Among other objections to the use of the term 
“ Sabbath,” as expressive of the Lord’s-day, it has 
been incautiously alleged, that “ the only bodies of 
professing Christians, throughout Christendom, who 
apply this term to the first day of the week, are the 
Church of Scotland , the Dissenters in England , 
and their descendants in America: that in this ap¬ 
plication it is unknown among the Roman Catholic 
and Greek Churches, and throughout all the Pro¬ 
testant Churches on the continent of Europe.” This 
statement is entirely incorrect. The term “ Sab¬ 
bath ” is undoubtedly applied to the first day of the 
week in the Homilies of the Church of England; 
in the “ Acts of the Synod of Dort ,” which, as 
every one knows, speak the authoritative language 
of the Church of Holland ; in the “ Ecclesiastical 
Polity” of “ the judicious Hooker ;” in the writings 
of Bishop Pearson, of Bishop Horsley, of Bishop 
Porteus, of the eloquent Wileerforce, of Dr. 
Thomas Scott, the pious and excellent Commenta¬ 
tor, of Messieurs Jones, of Nayland, Robinson 


Xlviil INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 

of Leicester, and Cooper, of Hamstal Ridwace, 
of the Christian Observer, of London , and of a host 
of other English and Continental writers, of the 
most elevated character. So far, then, as Protestant 
authority goes, the suffrages in favor of this title are 
widely extended, and of unquestionable respecta¬ 
bility. 

On the whole, then, though I prefer the title. 
“ the Lord’s-day,” as more strictly appropriate to 
the New Testament economy, and more evangeli¬ 
cal than any other; yet I can by no means feel the 
force of the objections to the terms “ the Sabbath,” 
and “ the Christian Sabbath.” Either of these terms 
is, assuredly, more likely to be received into popu¬ 
lar use than “ the Lord’s-day.” It is a scriptural 
term, used in a commandment, which I have no 
doubt is unrepealed, and still obligatory on Chris¬ 
tians. It is a perfectly expressive term, designating 
the day as a day of rest from servile labor, and 
all worldly employments ,* and intended, also, to be a 
standing commemoration of Jehovah’s rest from the 
work of creation ; and of our Divine Saviour’s rest 
(if the expression may be allowed) from the labors, 
the sufferings, and the humiliation of the w'ork of 
Redemption. These ideas surely give to the ter.m 
Sabbath , under the New Testament economy, as 


INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. xlix 

appropriate a meaning, both philological and theo¬ 
logical , as ever it had under the former dispensation. 

But it will be improper longer to detain the read¬ 
er from the following Lectures. They will well 
reward his perusal; and my prayer is, that they 
may be extensively circulated and useful. 

Princeton July 20th, 1833 . 


E 









MANUAL ON THE SABBATH 


CHAPTER I. 

THE INSTITUTION OF THE SABBATH. 

That a Sabbath is spoken of in these words of 
Gen. 2:3, “ and God blessed the seventh day and 
sanctified it,” will be admitted, whatever diversity 
of opinion may exist in reference to its original in¬ 
stitution and present obligation. This Sabbath, 
with its blessings, it is believed, belongs to the 
whole human family, however much it is decried 
as a part of Judaism, or a merely human institu¬ 
tion, expedient on the whole, but always to yield to 
any important secular interest, governmental or in¬ 
dividual. 

At the present day, it has become lamentably 
common, profanely and wantonly to abuse, and 
pervert to purposes of gain and pleasure, the sanc¬ 
tity of its hours. Convenience is the law which 
regulates the multitude on this sacred day, and to 
this law must yield both the authority of God, and 
the statutes of men. 

In this land, settled by pious pilgrims, and watch* 
ed over by the kind Providence of our heavenly 
Father, the question is now practically solving, 
“ Shall we obliterate or retain the Sabbath ?” 



52 


INSTITUTION OF 


In view, therefore, of the importance of this ques¬ 
tion, I propose to consider the Institution, Perpetual 
Obligation, Change of Day, Utility, and Duties of 
the Sabbath. 

Its Institution will claim our immediate attention, 
and be contemplated in reference to its date , and its 
Author . 

1. Our attention is directed, in the first place, to 
the date of the institution of the Sabbath. On this 
subject there are two opinions. Some contending 
that its origin is to be dated from the time when the 
manna was given to the children of Israel from 
heaven, which they were forbidden to gather on the 
seventh day. Others find its origin recorded in the 
second chapter of Genesis, and date its institution 
from the cessation of God’s work in creating the 
heavens and the earth. The latter opinion I con¬ 
ceive to be the truth, and shall endeavor to estab¬ 
lish it, by disproving the former, and adducing some 
positive evidence in confirmation of the latter. 

I shall proceed to examine the argument of those 
who date the institution from the time of Moses, 
2500 years after the creation. The celebrated Dr. 
Paley has advocated this opinion, and, in his work 
on Moral Philosophy, has presented all the reasons 
which can be adduced in support of it. To these 
reasons, therefore, we must address ourselves, and 
weigh their value in the scales of impartial judg¬ 
ment. 

It will be proper to turn to the passage on which 


THE SABBATH. 


53 


the argument principally rests. You will find it 
recorded in Exod. 16:21—30. “ And they gather¬ 

ed it every morning, every man according to his 
eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. 
And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they 
gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one 
man: and all the rulers of the congregation came 
and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is 
that which the Lord hath said—To-morrow is the 
rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord: bake that 
which ye will bake to-day, and seethe that ye will 
seethe ; and that which remaineth over, lay up for 
you, to be kept until the morning. And they laid 
it up till the morning, as Moses bade; and it did not 
stink, neither was there any worm therein. And 
Moses said, Eat that to-day ; for to-day is a Sabbath 
unto the Lord: to-day ye shall not find it in the 
field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh 
day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none. 
And it came to pass, that there went out some of 
the people on the seventh day for to gather, and 
they found none. And the Lord said unto Moses, 
How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and 
my laws ? See, for that the Lord hath given you 
the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth 
day the bread of two days: abide ye every man in 
his place; let no man go out of his place on the 
seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh 
day.” On this passage, Paley remarks, “ Now, in 
my opinion, the transaction in the wilderness above 
E 2 


54 


INSTITUTION OF 


recited, was the first actual institution of the Sab¬ 
bath. For if the Sabbath had been instituted at th^ 
time of creation—as the words in Genesis may 
seem at first sight to import; and if it had been ob¬ 
served all along from that time to the departure of 
the Jews out of Egypt, a period of about 2500 
years, it appears unaccountable that no mention of 
it, no occasion of even the obscurest allusion to it, 
should occur, either in the general history of the 
world before the call of Abraham, which contains, 
we admit, only a few memoirs of its early ages, and 
those extremely abridged: or, which is more to be 
wondered at, in that of the lives of the three first 
Patriarchs, which, in many parts of the account, is 
sufficiently circumstantial and domestic. Nor is 
there in the passage above quoted, any intimation 
that the Sabbath when appointed to be observed, was 
only the revival of an ancient institution, which had 
been neglected, forgotten, or suspended: nor is any 
such neglect imputed either to the inhabitants of the 
old world, or to any part of the family of Noah: 
nor, lastly, is any permission recorded to dispense 
with the institution, during the captivity of the Jews 
in Egypt, or on any other public emergency.” 

Let us dissect the argument, and examine its 
parts separately. 

The first reason in support of the opinion tha* 
the origin of the Sabbath is recorded in this passage 
of Exodus, is the entire want of reference to it in 
the history of the 2500 years prior to Moses. “ It 


THE SABBATH. 


55 


is unaccountable that it should neither be mentioned, 
nor even alluded to, in all this period, if it had been 
instituted from the beginning of the world.” That 
there is some, at least, “ obscure allusion” to the 
Sabbath in the history of that period, I think will 
appear, when we come to prove directly that the 
date of the institution is found in Gen. 2:3. 

But had there been no allusion, nor any mention 
of it, it certainly is not so unaccountable as this 
reason supposes. When it is remembered that the 
history of 2000 years until the call of Abraham, is 
written in eleven chapters of Genesis, containing 
“only a few brief memoirs, and those extremely 
abridged,” can it be a matter of astonishment, that 
the sacred historian does not inform us whether or 
not Abel, and Enoch, and Noah, and the pious of 
those days, kept the holy rest of God ? And on the 
supposition that the Sabbath was instituted at the 
time of creation, is it presumable that Moses would, 
in so brief a narration, inform us that the pious had 
kept this institution of God ? There were other im¬ 
portant matters to fill up his few pages. 

And in regard to the memoirs of the “ three first 
Jewish Patriarchs, which are in many things suffi¬ 
ciently circumstantial and domestic,” even they are 
only a touch upon a few things out of the numerous 
incidents which must have happened in the space of 
500 years. The remaining chapters of Genesis 
contain the account of these 500 years; and, al¬ 
though in some things minutely domestic, and much 


5 G 


INSTITUTION OF 


more circumstantial than the history of the prece¬ 
ding 2000 years, yet it is only ah abridgment, 
noticing those things which had a peculiar bearing 
on the illustration of man’s character, and God’s 
dealings with him. 

From the time of the call of Abraham, religion 
assumed, a new aspect. God entered into special 
convenant with the patriarchs, and was preparing 
the way xfor fuller discoveries of himself to their 
descendants. Therefore those domestic details, and 
circumstantial narratives which you find in their 
history; all tending to unfold the providence of God 
over the Patriarchs, his fulfilment of his promises, 
and their felt interest in his covenant. And is it 
anything remarkable, “if the Sabbath had been 
instituted from the creation of the world,” that in 
this brief account there should be no mention of its 
weekly observance, or of its neglect ? 

Paley himself remarks, that no neglect of the 
institution is imputed to the ante- or post-diluvians 
and infers therefore that the account in Exodus 16 
is not a revival of a previously existing institution 
but its very origin. He seems to take for granted 
that if the Sabbath had been known from the time 
of Adam, it had also been utterly neglected, or for¬ 
gotten, or suspended, and that this would have been 
mentioned by Moses on reviving it. But the con- 
trary supposition is far more probable, that if then 
instituted it continued to be observed by the ante- 


THE SABBATH. 57 

diluvians and the patriarchs. Of this there are 
some intimations, as we shall presently see. 

What then, on this supposition, should we look 
for in a history so circumscribed and uncommonly 
brief as that in Genesis? Would it be expected that 
Moses, with the single object in view of writing an 
introduction to the history of the Jewish people, 
after the departure from Egypt, which must run 
over a space of 2500 years, and necessarily contain 
numerous genealogies, would seek an opportunity of 
introducing the fact, that those of whom he wrote 
had kept the Sabbath ? To me it appears altogether 
improbable. Moses records the institution in the 
beginning of his history, and leaves us to infer that 
the sons of God observed it. Just as he gives us 
the account of the institution of circumcision in the 
covenant with Abraham, and after mentioning its 
observance by him, takes no further notice of it 
until his own time. But we cannot therefore con¬ 
clude that it was neglected by Isaac or Jacob and 
their posterity. For instance, suppose an individual 
should sit down to write the religious history of this 
country two hundred years hence. In the com¬ 
mencement he might briefly record the institution of 
the Sabbath as adopted into the code of the church, 
and say that the first day of the week was sanctified, 
or set apart for holy purposes. Then, on the sup¬ 
position that the day continued to be observed, and 
nothing occurred to interfere with its holy rest, nor 
anything especially worthy of remark in reference 




58 


INSTITUTION OF 


to it, would you expect to find the historian informing 
you of a fact which you would most naturally infer 
from his previous statement ? Certainly not. And 
much less, if his history were only a brief outline, 
similar to that in Genesis. 

It does not then appear wonderful that in the brief 
history of those days the Sabbath should not be 
mentioned, if instituted at the creation. On the 
contrary, that it is not, is the more natural. 

But let us now see whether the conclusion which 
Paley draws, be authorized by the premises. The 
premise is, that the history of 2500 years is silent 
on the subject of the Sabbath. The conclusion or 
the inference, that therefore the Sabbath was not 
instituted until after this period. Is the conclusion 
sustained by the premise? Whither would the rea¬ 
soning conduct us? You have already seen it lead 
to the conclusion, that from the time of Abraham to 
Moses, there was no practice of circumcision; that 
Isaac, Jacob, and their posterity, neglected this rite. 
And farther, that after the death of Moses, it was 
unknown for eight centuries, until the time of Jere¬ 
miah, who first mentions it. But that the silence of 
the sacred historian will not authorize us to conclude 
the non-existence of an institution, will appear also 
in reference to the Sabbath itself after its announce¬ 
ment in the wilderness. The weekly Sabbath is not 
once mentioned after the death of Moses, in the 
histories of the Jews written in Joshua, Judges, 
Samuel, &c., until you come to 2 Kings, 11. This 


THE SABBATH. 


59 


is more than 600 years from the record in the 16tU 
of Exodus. It is mentioned again in 1 Chron. 9:32, 
in the time of David, 500 years from the time of 
the record in Exodus 16. Another instance occurs 
in the history of Ahaz, 752 years from that period. 
It is mentioned also three times in Isa. 780 years 
after. And these are all the instances of its men¬ 
tion, during a period of 1000 years. 

The first notice of a Sabbath, is 500 years after 
the time of the supposed institution in Exodus, and 
this only incidental. Now apply the argument of 
Dr. Paley. “ If the Sabbath was instituted in the 
time of Moses, as recorded in 16th of Exodus; and 
if it was observed all along from that time until the 
time of David, a period of 500 years, it is unac¬ 
countable and much to be wondered at, that there 
should be no mention, nor even an occasion of the 
obscurest allusion to it, in a history sufficiently cir¬ 
cumstantial and domestic—yea, far more so than the 
account of the 500 years in which the three patri¬ 
archs lived. And must we then conclude that the 
pious Judges and Samuel observed no Sabbath 
because it is not alluded to in the history of their 
times, although there appeared to be an institution 
of it in Exodus 20 or 16 1 No more is it a justifiable 
inference that the patriarchs and ante-diluvians knew 
of no Sabbath, and that the record in Genesis 2: is 
not the actual institution of it, because it is not 
mentioned in the “ extremely abridged” history of 
tftose times. 


60 


INSTITUTION OF 


What has just been advanced, obviates anothe? 
of the reasons in support of the opinion we are 
refuting, viz: “ that no neglect of the Sabbath is 
imputed to the inhabitants of the old world, or to 
any part of the family of Noah.” The more proba¬ 
ble supposition is that they observed it. Nor do we 
expect an imputation of neglect where the subject is 
not mentioned. And moreover, they might have 
been negligent without any reference to the fact in 
so brief an account: for the first word of reproof 
in reference to the neglect of the Sabbath by the 
Israelites after the supposed institution in Exodus, 
occurs in Isa., 731 years after that period. 

I shall now turn to the second reason adduced by 
Dr. Paley, in these words,—“ there is not in the 
passage of Exodus, any intimation that the Sabbath 
then appointed to be observed, was the revival of 
an ancient institution .” Read Exod. 16:22, &c., 
con. vs. 4, 5. There is not, it is true, any intima¬ 
tion of this kind in so many words. Neither, on 
the other hand, is there any intimation that it is 
the original appointment of the Sabbath. But if we 
inspect the passage a little, we may perhaps dis¬ 
cover circumstances which will lead us to the opin¬ 
ion that it was “ the revival of an ancient institu¬ 
tion,” or at least that it was not the first institution 
of a Sabbath. The argument from this passage, 
to prove it the original appointment of the Sabbath, 
rests principally on the phrases,—•< To-morrow is 
the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord,” ver. 


THE SABBATH. 


61 


23,—“ To-day is a Sabbath unto the Lord,” ver. 
?-5,—and, “ For that the Lord hath given you the 
Sabbath.” 

In reference to the last, on which great stress is 
laid, as containing the original institution, because 
of the terms “ I have given,” which it is said can 
only mean a primary institution, even on the sup¬ 
position that they do necessarily imply institution , 
it could not be fairly inferred that God had then 
first given or instituted the Sabbath. For they an¬ 
nounce the reason of a double quantity of manna 
on the sixth day: 44 because the Lord hath given 
you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the 
sixth day, the bread of two days.” But the reason 
is just as good and as apparent to the people, if we 
suppose a reference to a previous institution 2500 
years before. The words do not necessarily indi¬ 
cate that the Sabbath had been just appointed. 
They only intimate that because of that day of rest 
existing among the Israelites, God gave them a 
double portion on the previous day. 

But the phrase, 44 the Lord hath given,” is suffi¬ 
ciently explained by what had occurred the previous 
day, in the declaration of Moses to the rulers, 44 To¬ 
morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath to the 
Lord.” This once introduced, the other expression 
would naturally follow in reference to it. So that 
the whole argument depends on the first declaration 
contained in ver. 23. 44 To-morrow is the rest of 

the holy Sabbath.” And the only question is, 

F 


62 


INSTITUTION OP 


whether this is the first announcement of the Sab¬ 
bath. If it be, then the other which follows and 
has reference to it, of course points to original in¬ 
stitution. But if not, then nothing can be deter¬ 
mined from the latter alone. For if it refer to this 
event, then its interpretation depends on it. 

Let us then direct our attention to this passage, 
in order to discover whether or not it seems to be 
the original appointment. 

Remark, in the first place, in verses 4, 5, God 
informs Moses of his intention to supply bread daily, 
and of his wish that the people should daily gather 
a sufficiency, and leave none until the next morn¬ 
ing. He further informs him that on the sixth 
day, his will was that they should gather twice 
the usual quantity. This is the whole of the com¬ 
munication with Moses. But there is no mention 
of a setting apart of the seventh day to sacred pur¬ 
poses. No allusion to the appointment of that 
day as a Sabbath. But on the supposition that this 
was the institution of the Sabbath, Moses was of 
course ignorant of it before, and could know no 
reason why a double portion should be given on the 
sixth day. Would it not be natural, therefore, that 
God should give him the reason of his withholding 
bread on the seventh day, together with his deter¬ 
mination to do so, if Moses were utterly ignorant 
of any such distinction of that day ? While, if ac¬ 
quainted with the Sabbath previously, nothing more 
would be necessary than just what information is 


THE SABBATH. 


63 


here recorded to have been given him,—that 'ja the 
sixth day they should gather twice the usuai quan- 
tity. The reason would be apparent to him from 
his previous knowledge of the Sabbath. 

A second observation on these verses is, ihat the 
division of time into weeks of seven days, was pre¬ 
viously known ; a fact which cannot be accounted 
for on the supposition that this was the original in¬ 
stitution of the Sabbath. 

Now, mark the occasion and the circumstances 
of the declaration, “ To-morrow is the rest of the 
holy Sabbath.” When the manna was seen lying 
on the ground, the people knew not what it was- 
Moses informs them it was the bread which the 
Lord had given them to eat, and that his ordinance 
was 4 that every family should gather each day what 
was necessary, leaving none for the morrow. Ac¬ 
cordingly, they so proceeded until they came to the 
sixth day of the week, on which they gathered 
twice as much, two omers for one person. Where¬ 
upon all the rulers came and told Moses. And he 
said unto them, “ This is that which the Lord hath 
said, To-morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath 
*unto the Lord, bake that which ye will bake to-day, 
and seethe that ye will seethe: and that which re- 
maineth over lay up for you, to be kept until the 
morning.” And this he commands them to do every 
sixth day, as they would find none on the seventh, 
the Sabbath. 

The congregation, you perceive, knew that the 


64 


INSTITUTION OF 


morrow was the Sabbath, for on the sixth day they 
gathered enough for two days, not expecting to find 
any on the seventh. How did they know it ? Was 
it from their previous acquaintance with the Sab¬ 
bath? or had Moses just informed them of a reve¬ 
lation appointing the day? We have no account of 
any new revelation to Moses on this subject, when 
God communicated with him as recorded in verses 
4 and 5. And granting that God did then inform 
Moses of the precise day, which might have been 
lost in their sore bondage, it does not appear that 
Moses made any such communication to the con¬ 
gregation, prior to their gathering “ twice as much” 
on the sixth day, or that he had even advised them 
of the necessity of gathering a double portion. It 
is apparent, then, from the narrative, that the people 
were previously acquainted with the seventh day as 
the rest of the holy Sabbath. 

But it may be inquired, if the people knew the 
Sabbath day, how came the rulers to be ignorant 
of it ? For it seems that they are at a loss to know 
why the congregation should gather a double quan¬ 
tity on the sixth day, and therefore come and tell 
Moses, who announces to them that “ to-morrow is 
the holy Sabbath,” as a satisfactory reason. It has 
been generally supposed that, although acquainted 
with a Sabbath, they had lost their reckoning in 
Egypt, and were uncertain about the day. But I 
confess it does not appear to me probable that the 
»eople should have been correct in the day, and al 


THE SABBATH. 


65 


the rulers have lost it. Nor is it any more proba¬ 
ble that Moses could have informed the congrega¬ 
tion of the day, without the knowledge of the rulers: 
for they were the proper persons through whom to 
communicate to the people. And this is additional 
proof of the inconsistency of the exposition which 
supposes Moses to have informed the people of the 
occurrence of the Sabbath on the seventh day, and 
at the same time the rulers to have been ignorant! 
I am therefore inclined to believe that both rulers 
and congregation were acquainted with the fact that 
the seventh day was the Sabbath, and that the rulers 
came and informed Moses of the people gathering 
a double quantity on the sixth day, not because they 
were ignorant of the approach of the Sabbath, but 
because they might have doubted whether it would 
be inappropriate to the sanctity of the day, to go 
out and gather their food and prepare it; especially 
as they had received express direction to gather only 
enough for one day, without any exception of the 
sixth: for it is evident from verses 15, 16, that 
Moses had not previously communicated with them 
on the subject. Or rather, they informed Moses of 
the conduct of the people, not suggesting the idea 
of its being a trangression of previous command 
nor coming with complaint, or surprise, (which our 
translation may seem to imply,) but believing them 
to have done rightly in collecting a double portion, 
and coming to Moses only to inform him, and in¬ 
quire what was to be done with it. (How perfectly 
F 2 


66 


INSTITUTION OP 


natural this inquiry, since whatever had previously 
been kept until morning, had always bred worms, 
and become offensive!) Moses answers, This is 
that which the Lord hath said,—the people have 
done rightly, have acted in accordance with the will 
of God communicated to me. To-morrow is the 
rest of the holy Sabbath, as they know; therefore 
bake and seethe what ye will to-day, and what re- 
maineth over, lay up for you until morning, and it 
will not smell as on other days. So the people laid 
it up until the morning, and then Moses command¬ 
ed them to eat it. 

I do not understand Moses as speaking to the 
rulers in justification of the people, or giving the 
reason for their double gathering on the sixth day, 
by the annunciation, “ To-morrow is the rest of the 
holy Sabbath unto the Lord,” (for this I presume 
they knew equally with the congregation,) but 
through the rulers promulging to the people, that as 
the morrow was the Sabbath, they must to-day bake 
and seethe what they had gathered, and eat of it on 
the Sabbath,* as then they might look for no supply. 
The words, “This is what the Lord hath said,” 
having reference to the conduct of the people, re¬ 
ported by the rulers, or perhaps to the further 
directions given to Moses, which he now gives to 

* We find the will of God on the point clearly unfolded, in the 
5th verse : “ On the sixth day they shall prepare that which they 
bring i* and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily” The 
requisition is plain. 



THE SABBATH. 67 

them, “ Bake that you will bake,” &c., “ To-morrow 
is the Sabbath,” being thrown into parenthesis. 

But farther; examine the very language of this 
annunciation, and grant that as far as the determin¬ 
ing the precise day is concerned, it is of the appoint¬ 
ment of the Sabbath among this people, yet is the 
language such as would be used if the rulers were 
familiar with the existence of a Sabbath. “To¬ 
morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath.” This is 
the language of one speaking to others whom he 
knew to be familiar with the subject. Just as if you 
had been thrown into circumstances in which you 
had lost your reckoning of days, and should then 
be released, and, finding me on a certain day of the 
week preparing a double quantity of food and fuel, 
should inquire the reason. I would answer, “ to¬ 
morrow is the Sabbath;” knowing you to have 
been acquainted with the existence of such a sacred 
season. But suppose it were a new institution, 
never before heard of, would I not more fully give 
you my reasons for being employed as you found 
me ? Or, if I gave you the above answer, would you 
not be surprised, and ask of the object of the decree, 
the manner in which the day was to be observed, and 
the occasion of its appointment ? The language of 
Moses then, on this occasion, is not that which indi¬ 
cates the original promulgation of the Sabbath, but 
precisely such as would be natural when the institution 
had been previously known, and its duties generally 
recognized. There is nothing, therefore, in this 


68 


INSTITUTION OF 


whole passage, which looks like a primary institu¬ 
tion, but much that indicates the “ revival of an 
ancient law,” or an allusion to a prior custom. 

The remarks made in answer to this second rea¬ 
son of Paley, will obviate the fourth, “ that no 
permission is recorded to dispense with the institution 
during the captivity of the Jews in Egypt, or on any 
other public emergency.” 

There is no record of their neglecting it during 
this period: nor do we contend that they did. 
Neither is there of their neglect or observance during 
the Babylonish captivity. Yet as Nehemiah, and 
his associates, observed it on their return, the pre¬ 
sumption is they did not forget it in their captivity. 

What has been said in reference to the 29th verse 
of this passage, “ for that the Lord hath given you 
the Sabbath,” will explain those adduced by Dr. 
Paley from Ezek. 20, and Neh. 9. 

2. I shall now proceed to adduce some affirmative 
proof of the position, that the institution of the 
Sabbath is to be dated from the creation of the 
world . 

The universal division of time into weeks , pre¬ 
sents a fact which must strike every one as singular, 
and only to be explained by a reference to some 
event universally known and recognized. ' This 
division seems to be adopted by Noah in sending out 
the dove regularly every seventh day. It is ad¬ 
verted to in the mourning for Jacob: and most 
probably in the offerings of Cain and Abel, of whom 


I 


THE SABBATH. 69 

it is said, that at the end of days they presented 
them before the Lord. This might naturally refer 
to the end of the week; and the fact of their coming 
at the same time, indicates some common season for 
worship. From Exodus we discover that weeks of 
seven days were familiar to the Jews prior to the 
time of the giving of manna. 

Other nations also have made the same division 
of days, and have kept the seventh as a holy festi¬ 
val. Homer and Hesiod mention it in their early 
day, and Josephus remarks, “ no city can be found 
which does not recognize it.” 

Now what explanation can be given of these two 
connected facts—this common division into weeks, 
and the universal consecration of the seventh day 
to sacred purposes—other than this, that the Sab¬ 
bath was appointed immediately after the creation, 
and recurring every seventh day, at once distin¬ 
guished time into periods of weeks. This appoint¬ 
ment would of course be communicated by tradition 
to all nations, and give rise to the universal ob¬ 
servance of the seventh day. 

It is thought, there is also proof of the institution 
of the Sabbath on the cessation of creation, in the 
fourth commandment. Remember the Sabbath day 
to keep it holy: for in six days the Lord made 
heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and 
rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed 
^ the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. It is not pre¬ 
tended by any that this was the first institution of 


70 


INSTITUTION OF 


the Sabbath; and it is manifest from the language 
that the day had been previously blessed and sanc¬ 
tified. When therefore we find in Gen. 2:3, and in 
no other place, the same reason given for the sanc¬ 
tification of the Sabbath, as here, and the blessing 
and hallowing there announced, we are led to con¬ 
clude that this was the time of the previous blessing 
referred to in the commandment, and consequently 
the true date of its institution . 

We cannot, with Dr. Paley, suppose the author of 
Genesis to have introduced the Sabbath after the 
account of the creation, by way of anticipation, 
stating there only the reason of its appointment, 
and not the fact. On the contrary, its mention in 
this place, is almost, if not altogether, proof positive 
that we correctly date its origin at the close of the 
six days’ work of God. 

How the idea should ever have entered any one’s 
mind, is unaccountable. Who, on reading the nar¬ 
ration, would suppose that Moses did not design to 
convey the idea that God rested from his work on 
the seventh day, and then sanctified and blessed it ? 
Is it not as natural to interpret the whole account of 
the creation, as an account of what was accomplished 
at some future period? Might we not with equal 
propriety and reason, suppose the narrative of the 
temptation and fall, to have reference to some dis¬ 
tant transaction, and thus be relieved from the 
disagreeable doctrines of representation and de¬ 
pravity ? We feel a confidence that the first and 


THE SABBATH. 


71 


natural exposition of every man would be, that the 
words contain the institution of the Sabbath, and 
that any other must result from a necessity arising 
out of some preconceived view of the subject. 

These considerations, in connexion with the proof 
that its origin can be found nowhere else, induce 
the conclusion, that the Sabbath is coeval with the 
existence of man , and shed its holy light and joy 
around him on his first day's being . 

II. The second topic of discourse, is the Author 
of the institution . The infidel will, of course, deny 
the divine institution of the Sabbath; for, with the 
Bible, he rejects all its institutions. But among 
those who hold the inspiration of the scriptures, 
there are some who contend that the Sabbath origin¬ 
ally appointed of God, was given only to the Jews, 
and is, with the ceremonies of that dispensation, 
entirely abrogated,—that there is now no Sabbath of 
divine appointment, and that the whole obligation 
to keep a day holy to the Lord, arises from the 
expediency and utility of it. 

You perceive, at once, that if there be no higher 
foundation of obligation in reference to a Sabbath, 
than merely human enactment, it is not likely long 
to maintain its sanctity, against the overwhelming 
torrent of human depravity, which will never, for 
any great length of time, sacrifice its own interest 
to vihws of expediency. Nothing but divine com¬ 
mand brought to bear on the conscience, will be 
sufficiently powerful to stay the proud march of 


72 


INSTITUTION OF 


fallen man to the accomplishment of his own private 
views and secular interests. And therefore we 
rejoice that in the page of inspiration can be found 
the institution of a Sabbath which is perpetual, and 
has God , and not man, for its author. On this 
ground we rest all our hopes of its preservation from 
universal desecration. God will guard his own 
institutions, and although, for wise purposes, infidels 
may be permitted to trample it under feet in our 
land, yet in another will it appear again, and shine 
forth to the admiration of the world with renewed 
splendors, until its holy light shall diffuse a heavenly 
joy through the habitations of man in every corner 
of this benighted earth. 

You read its origin in Gen. 2:3, “And God blessed 
the seventh day and sanctified it, because that in it 
he had rested from all his work, which God created 
and made.” The light of nature could never have 
informed us, that it was proper to worship God 
socially one day in seven. It could teach us only 
the duty of worship, without any of its specifications 
of time or form. But the Author of nature has 
spoken, and for the benefit of the human family, set 
apart every seventh day as sacred to religious pur¬ 
poses. And man can never exempt himself from 
the obligation, unless he show that the appointment 
was originally limited to a particular people, or has 
since been repealed. Neither of which will b^very 
easily done. For however the day may have been 
clanged, that will not affect the sanctification of a 


THE SABBATII. 


73 


seventh part of time. And having made it appear 
that its original institution was not connected with 
the Mosaic law, but with the termination of God’s 
creation of the heavens and the earth, it is of course 
independent on that system, not affected by its abro¬ 
gation, and reaches man at the present day, having 
inscribed on its broad basis, the divinity of its origin, 
—“ God blessed and sanctified it.” 

May not its divine original be farther maintained 
from what the Saviour says of himself to the Jews, 
“ The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath ?” 
The term Lord, implies dominion, authority over. 
The Lord of the Sabbath is, therefore, one who has 
authority over it, to whom it is subject. Christ, then, 
declares the Sabbath to be subject to his authority. 
And it could only be so in reference to its appoint¬ 
ment as a day of rest, the prescription of its duties, 
or the repeal of the statute ordaining it. 

But surely, it will not be contended by those who 
deny the divinity of Christ, and make him only a 
man, that as a man he had authority either to insti¬ 
tute, or prescribe, the duties of the Sabbath, and 
much less to repeal existing laws ? 

Whence, then, did he derive his lordship over the 
Sabbath ? Was it as a messenger sent of God 1 If 
so, his appointments, prescriptions, and repeals, bear 
the stamp of divine authority, and derive all their 
obligation on us from this fact. Even in this light, 
the declaration, that the Son of man is Lord of the 
Sabbath, would mark it out as a divine institution. 

G 


74 


INSTITUTION OP 


Perhaps it may be answered that the delegated 
authority of Christ over the Sabbath, extended only 
to the repeal, or the modification of the Jewish Sab¬ 
bath, and therefore it could not be argued that its 
institution was divine, although it could be fairly 
inferred that its repeal or regulation was. It might 
be a divine abrogation of a human institution. It 
might be so, but it does not appear that Christ con¬ 
sidered the laws of Moses as those of a human legis¬ 
lator. On the contrary, he everywhere acknow¬ 
ledges his divine legation, and speaks of him as a 
prophet sent from God to announce his laws to the 
people of Israel. Granting, then, that the delivery 
of the law in the wilderness contained the first ap¬ 
pointment of a Sabbath, and farther, that Christ’s 
lordship over it extended only to a delegated power 
to modify its duties, or entirely repeal it, unless it 
could be clearly shown that the Jewish Sabbath (of 
which the Saviour speaks) was a human institution, 
it would follow from his delegated power to modify 
or repeal, that it was divine. For only the institu- 
tor has authority to alter or repeal. And if it be 
contended that Christ was sent from God with pow¬ 
er to repeal, and that this constituted his lordship, 
even on this supposition the result would be, that 
God had been the author of it. 

But the most natural interpretation of these words* 
is, that Christ here asserts his complete lordship or 
authority over the Sabbath, both in regard to its 
original institution, and his consequent right to alter 


THE SABBATH. 


75 


or abolish. And this he could do only as he was 
the Word who was with God, and was God. Hence, 
the institution is divine . 


CHAPTER II. 

PERPETUAL OBLIGATION OF THE SABBATH. 

In the last chapter our attention was directed to 
that holy day of rest from the ordinary occupations 
of life, which God has appointed for the human 
family. It was considered in reference to its divine 
institution, and the date of its origin. In opposition 
to those who find its rise under the Jewish dispensa¬ 
tion, and deduce it from the passage recorded in 
Exod. 16:22—31, it was shown to be nothing re¬ 
markable, “ if the Sabbath was appointed at the time 
of creation,” that there is no mention of it in the 
brief record of 2500 years, but that this is rather 
as we should have expected it to be—and that the 
argument from the silence of the historian, if valid, 
would lead us to the conclusion that there was no 
Sabbath among the Israelites for five hundred years 
after the supposed institution in Exodus, and that 
for eight hundred years from the time of Moses, 
there was no practice of circumcision. 

On an examination of the passage in Exodus 16, 
there was discovered nothing in the language, or 
recorded circumstances, which indicates the procla¬ 
mation of a new, but everything which evinces a 



76 


PERPETUAL OBLIGATION 


reference to an old institution, with which the rulers 
and people had both been familiar. 

The passages of Nehemiah and Ezekiel, and that 
verse in Exodus 16, in which God is said to have 
given them the Sabbath, on which much dependence 
had been placed, were seen to contain no evidence 
of original institution, and to be fully explained by 
the interpretation of the preceding verses of the 
passage in Exodus. After this removal of objections, 
affirmative evidence was adduced, fixing the date 
of the institution at the close of the six days’ crea¬ 
tion. 

1. The acknowledged fact of the division of time 
into weeks among all nations, and the allusion to it 
in Genesis; the only satisfactory reason for which 
division, apparent to us, is the traditional knowledge 
of a Sabbath. 

2. The universal sanctification of the seventh 
day to religious purposes, in connexion with the 
fact that the same great reason is assigned for it. 

3. The evidence derived from the fourth com¬ 
mandment, in which God himself declares a 'previous 
blessing and hallowing of the day, and seems to fix 
that previous time at the period mentioned in Gene¬ 
sis, by his use of the same language there record¬ 
ed ; and not at that spoken of in Exodus, in which 
there is no hint of a hallowing, nor any reason given 
for the appointment. 

4. The narration itself, in which there is every 
appearance of the preservation of the order of time, 


OF THE SABBATH. 


77 


and which would strike every reader as an account 
not only of the reason, but equally of the time of 
the institution of the Sabbath. 

I shall now proceed to prove the •perpetual obli¬ 
gation of the Sabbath . 

1. This may be established, in the first place, 
from the date of the institution . In the language 
of our opponents themselves, “ If the divine com¬ 
mand was actually delivered at the creation, it was 
addressed no doubt to the whole human species 
alike, and continues, unless repealed by some sub¬ 
sequent revelation, binding upon all who come to 
the knowledge of it. This opinion precludes all 
debate about the extent of the obligation.” 

The only ground on which it is attempted to re¬ 
move the present and future obligation of the Sab¬ 
bath, is that it had its rise among the ceremonial 
institutions of the Israelites, and is therefore done 
away under the gospel, as one of the shadows of 
the law of carnal commandments. If this ground 
have fallen, and the institution be rightly placed at 
the very commencement of time, long before the 
Israelites as a people had a name on the earth, then 
it comes down to us as part of the species for whom 
it was given—then the Jewish nation observed it 
and adopted it into their law, both civil and eccle¬ 
siastical, not as peculiar to themselves, but as a 
portion of that family whose common gift it is,— 
and then, when they cease to be the treasury of 
the oracles of God, the royal priesthood, the holy 
G 2 


78 


PERPETUAL OBLIGATION 


nation, it descends to the Gentiles as their rightful 
inheritance, and becomes a sign between God and 
all people who observe it. An institution which 
was confirmed before of God, the law, which was 
2500 years after, could not disannul to make it of 
none effect. 

Let be remarked, also, that the Sabbath was given 
to Adam in innocency, to be observed by him and 
his posterity in case of their continued holiness, and 
formed no part of the hand-writing of ordinances, 
which was added because of transgression. Neither 
is it too carnal, nor does it partake too much of an 
external ordinance, for the spirituality of any dis¬ 
pensation given to man on earth, since it was 
appointed for him in all his primitive spirituality, as 
he came fresh from the hand of his Creator, clothed 
. in the moral beauty of his own image. 

And it surely can never be contended that its ob¬ 
ligation was confined to man in his state of holiness 
for it existed, and its observance was commanded,, 
as well after, as before the fall. It stands on the 
same footing with the institution of marriage. This 
took place between Adam and Eve prior to their loss 
of innocence, but, as it was appointed for the whole 
human family, it existed after the fall, under the 
law, and since its abrogation. And any peculiar 
modification of the original institution which may 
have been permitted, or any severity of penalty that 
may have been attached to its violation under the 
Mosaic polity, has not affected its present and per 


OF THF. SABBATH. 


T9 

petual obligation. So the Sabbath, set apart imme¬ 
diately on the creation of man, cannot be supposed 
to belong exclusively to the Israelites, unless so 
recognized. For they are no more nearly related, 
nor any more intimately connected with Adam, than 
other branches of his great family; nor can the 
adoption of it into their code, any more restrict it to 
them, than the adoption of the marriage institution 
can confine it to their nation exclusively. And of 
course, the abrogation of a system of rites and 
ceremonies which had its beginning thousands of 
years subsequently, and of which it was no original 
part, only incorporated as a law universally binding, 
cannot blot out its prior and superior obligation. 

Some explicit repeal of the statute by divine au¬ 
thority, must be pointed out, before we dare abolish 
that holy rest, which had its origin under circum¬ 
stances, and at a time, which clearly mark it out as 
the property of every people. If it were a part of 
the ceremonial law, then it were easy to show its 
abrogation under the general repeal of the hand¬ 
writing of ordinances, by the coming of Christ, the 
great antitype. But since it is no part of that sys¬ 
tem, we must look for some other annunciation, 
which will strike it out from the number of gospel 
institutions. That annunciation cannot be found, 
and therefore, on the ground of its early date, at 
the creation, 44 it continues binding on all who come 
to the knowledge of it.” 

2. I establish the perpetual and universal obliga- 


60 PERPETUAL OBLIGATION 

tion of the Sabbath, in the second place, by the 
perpetual application of the reason attached to its 
institution , and the universality of the end proposed 
by it. 

The great reason assigned by God for blessing 
and sanctifying the Sabbath, both in the second 
chapter of Genesis, and in the fourth commandment, 
is the fact that he rested from the work of creation. 

It ought to be noted that there is implied in the 
word rested, completion , perfection , intimating that 
God’s rest was not an actual idleness, a vacuity of 
mind or employment, but the completion of a work 
which in its every part was such as he designed, 
and would display to intelligent beings the glory of 
his character. At the close of this work, executed 
in infinite wisdom, and contemplated by Deity him¬ 
self as very good, God sanctified a seventh portion 
of man’s time, and left him his own example to 
imitate. And the example of Jehovah, when set 
before us, as far as it is imitable, becomes authorita¬ 
tive law to the whole universe. 

It would be singular indeed, if God’s ceasing from 
a work which was intended to exhibit his glorious 
perfections to the admiration of all intellectual beings, 
were a reason to be employed in securing the ob¬ 
servance of the Sabbath among the Jewish people 
only. It is manifestly alike applicable to all, and 
strongly intimates, that the institution with which it 
is connected, was appointed to be equally extensive 
in its obligation. God rested from his work which 


OF THE SABBATH. 


81 


he had created and made, blessed and hallowed the 
day, and commanded, not only Jews, but all people, 
to remember it and keep it holy. 

Nor will it suffice as an answer to this argument, 
to say, that in Deut. “ the commandment is repeated 
with a reference to a different event,” viz. the de¬ 
liverance of the Israelites from their Egyptian 
bondage; and that when afterward “ spoken of as 
peculiar to the people of Israel,” it is founded on 
this same universal reason. There is nothing absurd 
in the idea of adding to the first weighty reason, 
others of subordinate importance, which are forcibly 
applicable in the circumstances in which they are 
announced. Thus, while in the fourth command¬ 
ment God promulges the chief reason for which he 
had blessed the Sabbath, in repeating it afterward, 
he impresses on the Jews with additional force, their 
obligation in reference to part of the duties of the 
day, by adverting to their former subjection to 
bondage: “ Because ye have been servants in Egypt, 
with special reason, I command you to remember 
the Sabbath, that thy man-servant and thy maid¬ 
servant may rest as well as thou.” 

In regard to the other part of the answer, “ that 
God’s rest from creation is proposed as the reason 
of the institution, even when it is spoken of as 
peculiar to the Jews,” nothing is certainly more 
natural than that this prime reason should be en¬ 
forced on the Jews, when God was treating peculiarly 
with them, and they were the only people on earth 


82 


PERPETUAL OBLIGATION 


who observed this sacred time. The same reason 
would have been given had any other than the Jews 
been the subjects of the command. To say that it 
is “ spoken of as peculiar to the Jews,” however, is 
more than is warrantable. It is indeed recognized 
as peculiar to them in its observation, and renewed 
enforcement, but not in its obligation. 

The fact then that God’s resting from his work is 
attached to the command, as the foundation of the 
institution, when he gave it specially to the Jews, 
does not limit either the reason, or the command, 
but leaves them equally applicable to all others. 

If we now advert to the end or objects of the 
institution, we shall perceive them to be adapted 
equally to the whole human family, and not pecu¬ 
liarly to the Jews. And hence its perpetuity is 
inferred. Was it intended to relieve both man and 
beast from the wearisomeness of uninterrupted labor ? 
Then do all need it as much as the Israelites. Was 
it designed to be commemorative of the eternity, 
independence, self-existence, and all the glorious 
perfections of Deity, as evinced in the work of his 
hands I Then are all, equally with the Jews, inter¬ 
ested in this commemoration. Was it provided as a 
means of man’s growth and establishment in holi¬ 
ness 1 Then does its end proclaim it loudly to be the 
birthright of every intelligent creature on God’s 
earth, a common inheritance to all the sons and 
daughters of Adam. Who is the Jew, that his con¬ 
stitution alone, and that of his servants and beasts, 


or THE SABBATH. 


83 


require a regular return of freedom from the exhaust¬ 
ing fatigues of constant labor ? Who is the Jew, that 
he only may set apart one day in seven for singing 
the high praises of God,—that he only is obliged to 
bear in remembrance the power, and wisdom, and 
goodness of God, displayed in his completed work 
of creation 7 Who is the Jew, that he only needs 
this pre-eminently blessed mean of attaining and 
securing conformity with the image of God ? No! 
verily, you and I, and Adam, and Noah, are, as 
much as he, interested in this heavenly attainment. 
We, equally with him, must commemorate the six 
days’ work of Jehovah. And our constitution, as 
well as his, was so made as to require the rest of 
the Sabbath. Whether, then, you consider the 
assigned reason of the institution, or its end, you 
arrive at the conclusion that it is perpetually obliga¬ 
tory wherever known. 

3. This leads me to a third proof of its perpetual 
obligation, derived from the declaration of the Lord 
of the Sabbath, that it was made for man. It was 
instituted by God, and intended not for any particu¬ 
lar class of men, but for the whole race, wherever, 
and under whatever circumstances, they should be 
found. It was adapted in its nature not to one sex 
of mankind, but to both—not to man in his inno¬ 
cence only, but in his guilt—not to man under the 
Mosaic system exclusively, but to man under the 
patriarchal, the gospel, the millennial state also. The 
term man is generic, and not specific or distinctive. 


8-1 


PERPETUAL OBLIGATION 


It includes Adam with all his descendants as long 
as they live on earth, sustain their present relations, 
and possess the capacities of human nature. To 
man it comes with the whole force of its obligation, 
whether he be rich or poor, high or low, master or 
servant, king or subject—whether in his individual 
or in his associated capacity. For if it was insti¬ 
tuted for man indefinitely, then the law binds him 
in all his relations, whether to his family or to his 
government. And the fact of his acting with others, 
as & legislator, or a ruler of his country, will not 
release him, for he is still man : and so are all who 
are associated with him in legislation and govern¬ 
ment. And, therefore, if individually obliged by the 
law in this relation, so also collectively. 

4. As a fourth evidence of the perpetual obliga- 
tion of the Sabbath, I may briefly appeal to 'prophe¬ 
cies which recognize its existence under the gospel, 
and of course to the end of time , as the present dis¬ 
pensation is announced as the final one, and ap¬ 
pointed for the church until the providential system 
of this world shall be wound up, and Christians be 
caught up unto the Lord in the air. 

Examine, for instance, Psa. 118:22—24. “ The 
stone which the builders refused is become the head 
stone of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing; it is 
marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the 
Lord hath made; .we will rejoice and be glad in it.” 
If this passage be prophetical, and refer to the times 
of the Messiah, as it would seem from 1 Pet. 2:7, 


OF THE SABBATH. 


85 


where the language is quoted as applicable to Christ, 
then under the gospel is there “ a day which the 
Lord hath made,” or set apart for himself, on which 
the gates of the sanctuary will he open, and the 
righteous will enter, to praise the Lord, rejoice and 
be glad in it. This is certainly completely an 
exactly fulfilled in the united worship which is offer 
ed to the Lord on that day, on whose glorious morn 
ing, bright with blessings to the world, he became 
the head stone of the corner. 

Look, also, at Isa. 56:6—8. “ Also the sons of 

the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to 
serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be 
his servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath 
from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant: 
Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and 
make them joyful in my house of prayer: their 
burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted 
upon mine altar; for my house shall be called a 
house of prayer for all people. The Lord God, 
which gathereth the outcasts of Israel, saith, Yet 
will I gather others to him, besides those that are 
gathered unto him.” “ Sons of the stranger,” it is 
universally conceded, is a phrase equivalent to the 
Gentiles. And, that this is a prophecy relative to 
the last days, or the gospel state, in which the mul¬ 
titude of the Gentiles should join themselves to the 
Lord, is apparent from the assertion, that in the 
days of the accomplishment of this prophecy, the 
house of the Lord shall be a house of prayer for all 
H 


86 


PERPETUAL OBLIGATION 


people , and that there should be gathered to the out¬ 
casts of Israel, others beside those that were gather¬ 
ed unto him. 

Never was the house of God an house of prayer 
for all people, until the close of the Jewish dispensa 
tion and the introduction of a better covenant, under 
which neither at Jerusalem, nor Samaria, would be 
the place of worship, but wherever two or three 
were gathered together to worship in the name of 
Christ. But at this time the prophecy indicates the 
existence of the Sabbath, and places the piety of the 
worshippers partly in their keeping this holy day 
from polluting it. Consult also Isaiah 66:23. 

5. A fifth argument in favor of the perpetual and 
universal obligation of the Sabbath , is found in the 
moral nature of the institution. It has been con¬ 
tended that it is not moral, but ceremonial, as much 
as many other institutions under the law, such as 
the passover, the feast of tabernacles, of pentecost, 
&c. For the determining of this point, it will be 
necessary to advert to the distinction between moral 
and positive, or ceremonial precepts. 

Moral are such as regulate the moral conduct of 
intelligent beings, and result from the immutable 
relations of creatures to God and to one-another. 
Of course, they are universally binding wherever 
the relations exist, which they recognize and regu • ^ 
late. Such are the precepts requiring us to love 
and worship God, and honor our parents. 

Positive precepts are those which create duties t 


OF THE SABBATH. 


87 


which require conduct of moral beings, that, inde¬ 
pendently of the precepts, would never have been 
obligatory, but always remained indifferent. They 
impose obligations, which are not dependent on the 
natural relations of those obliged, but are originated 
entirely by the commands themselves. 

Those, also, are generally called positive pre¬ 
cepts, which first make known a certain course of 
conduct, or certain acts, as duties, which, although 
resulting from the relations of rational beings, and 
perceived to do so when known, would never have 
been discovered to be duties, but for the precept 
pointing them out as such. These, however, are, 
properly speaking, moral in their nature, as they 
do not regulate acts which are indifferent, nor create 
duties; but only command what was already a 
duty, although unknown by the subjects of the 
command. 

If you now apply these definitions to the com¬ 
mand requiring the observance of the Sabbath, you 
will discover it to be of a moral nature. What are 
the purposes of the command ? It requires cessation 
from secular employments, rest for both man and 
beast, one day in seven—it demands the sanctifying 
or setting apart of this day to religious purposes, 
especially the commemoration of God’s works and 
attributes therein displayed — it provides for the 
spiritual and eternal interests of men, in the acqui¬ 
sition and increase of holy dispositions. And are 
not these requirements founded on the nature and 


89 


PERPETUAL OBLIGATION 


relations of man ? Is it a matter of indifference, iri- 
dependently of the precept, whether man gives that 
repose from hard labor, to himself and his beast, 
which experience has taught us to be essential to the 
strength and permanent vigor of body and mind ? 
Is it a thing indifferent, whether or not man recog- 
nize his dependence on God, and commemorate the 
perfections of Jehovah in proper worship? Is it 
wholly indifferent whether men attain holiness or 
not, and thus fulfil the great end of their being? 
Plainly, all these things result as duties, from the 
relations of man as a moral being, and therefore the 
command requiring them, is of a moral nature, and 
so is the institution of which they are the purposes. 
But it is the characteristic of a moral precept, or of 
an institution founded on a moral precept, to be 
universal and perpetual in its obligation, wherever 
the relations exist which it regulates; therefore, the 
Sabbath being such an institution, is perpetually 
obligatory on man. 

Nor will it be any objection to this, that man 
could not have known the propriety of worshipping 
God socially one day in seven, but for the precept 
requiring it. Men were universally bound, from 
their relations to God, to commemorate his perfec¬ 
tions exhibited in the works of his hand, and were 
equally bound to do it in the best manner. When¬ 
ever, therefore, they ascertain the best manner of 
performing the duty, (and this is now made known 
by the choice and command of God,) that manner 


OF THE SABBATH. 


89 


is binding equally with the duty itself, and as con¬ 
stituting part of it. The observance of one day in 
seven, is, then, a perpetual and universal duty. Its 
moral nature, and, consequently, perpetual obliga¬ 
tion, may be clearly inferred also from the fact, that 
the prophets uniformly class a violation of its 
sanctity with transgressions of the moral law , as 
may be seen by a reference to those passages of the 
prophecies, in which the subject is mentioned. This 
cannot be otherwise explained, than that God, who 
inspired the prophets, considered the Sabbath a 
moral institution, and its desecration equally crimi¬ 
nal with the transgression of any other moral law. 

6. I prove, again, the perpetual obligation of the 
Sabbath, from its place in the Decalogue , or moral 
law . The nine other precepts of the law, are mani¬ 
festly, and without exception, acknowledged to be 
moral, and of universal application and obligation ; 
and no good reason can be given, why this is not 
equally so. Its moral nature , also, might have 
been proved from its location. 

But I wish it to be remarked, that the law com¬ 
manding the observance of the Sabbath, along with 
the remaining nine of the Decalogue, was announ¬ 
ced by the awful voice of God himself, from the 
midst of lightnings and thunderings, so that the 
people trembled, stood afar off, and desired that God 
might speak no more. 

Observe, farther, that it was written by the finger 
of God, on a table of stone , first prepared by him 
H 2 


DO 


PERPETUAL OBLIGATION 


self; and when this was broken, again written with 
his own finger on a table of stone prepared by 
Moses. A table, or pillar of stone, was a symbol 
of durability and perpetuity; and this symbol God 
employed, no doubt, to express the perpetuity of the 
command written upon it. He signalized this pre¬ 
cept also, with the others of the Decalogue, by twice 
impressing them with his own finger on the tables 
of stone. 

Now the question presents itself, why were these 
ten precepts so remarkably signalized ? Why were 
they uttered by the voice of God amid the black¬ 
ness and darkness, and the horrible tempest of 
Sinai ? Why were they inscribed with his own finger 
on monuments symbolical of perpetuity, while the 
other laws were all written by Moses himself as 
dictated by God? Was it not to point out their pre¬ 
eminent importance, and emphatically their univer¬ 
sal and perpetual obligation ? And why, if the fourth 
be not equally obligatory with the rest, was it 
introduced among them without limit or restriction, 
and surrounded with all the splendors, and marked 
with all the peculiarities which attached to the others ? 

There was another ritual law in which it might 
have been written, and would have been, had not 
Jehovah designedly placed it where it would be dis¬ 
tinguished as a part of the moral law, perpetually 
binding on man. 

Here, then, it stands linked in close connexion 
with the other nine precepts of the moral law, which 


OF THE SABBATII. 


91 


nre confessedly binding on all. And who shall 
break the link and sunder it from its fellows ? Here 
it is, written by the same finger which recorded the 
rest, bright with the glories which flashed from the 
mount of its promulgation, and who shall limit its 
application to one people, and strip it of all the 
peculiarities which Jehovah has thrown around it 
Stand off; for this is holy ground. 

It will not do to say, in answer to this, as Dr. 
Paley has, “ that the distinction between moral or 
natural, and positive, was not known to the sim¬ 
plicity of the ancients.” Be it so. This is God’s 
work. Did not he know the distinction ? and did 
he not foresee that it would be known in future days, 
if it never was by the Israelites ? Let it be remem¬ 
bered, that this portion of the Mosaic laws was 
written by God himself, and has always been dis¬ 
tinguished from the ritual part, by the Jews them¬ 
selves, by Christ, and by Paul. And it ever will 
be distinguished while the record of it remains, and 
the recognition of its peculiarity by the Lord of the 
Sabbath himself, and by his chief apostle. Per¬ 
petual obligation, then, seems, as it were, written on 
the Sabbath, by the finger of Deity himself. 

7. I here might advert to passages of the New 
Testament which recognize the existence of a Sab¬ 
bath, after the abrogation of the ritual or Levitical 
law, subsequently to the resurrection of Christ, and 
the introduction of the gospel state. But I shall 
omit these, and proceed, finally, to observe that there 


92 perpetual obligation 

is in the New Testament, no repeal of the law 
instituting the Sabbath . As already remarked, the 
abrogation of the ceremonial law, which hath 
“ waxed old and vanished away,” cannot affect this, 
unless it could be clearly shown to be a part of it; 
which it cannot. And if, as has been proved, it is 
moral in its nature, we should never look for a 
repeal, for it must then be universally obligatory, 
while man continues in being on earth. 

However, as some who consider it in the light of 
a positive institute, think they find its repeal or 
abrogation in some expressions of the apostle Paul, 
it behooves us to examine them. 

The first I shall notice, you will find in Colos- 
sians 2:16,17.- “ Let no man therefore judge you 
in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy-day, (or 
feast-day,) or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath- 
days, (or Sabbaths:) which are a shadow of things 
to come.” Here, it is contended, the Sabbath is 
abrogated along with the ceremonial law. That the 
apostle here speaks of the ceremonial statutes, can¬ 
not be doubted, for he calls them a hand-writing of 
ordinances, and alludes to Judaizing teachers who 
attempted to beguile them with enticing words. But 
among these ordinances there were several Sabbaths 
exclusively of the weekly; and it would devolve on 
those who plead for its abrogation, to prove that 
there is here an allusion to the weekly Sabbath. 
And if this were proved, it would only be the abro¬ 
gation of the Jewish Sabbath, or of the seventh day 


OF THE SABBATH. 03 

as a Sabbath, and would not at all affect the exist¬ 
ence of the Lord’s-day or Christian Sabbath. 

Galatians 4:10,11. “ Ye observe days, and 

months, and times, and years : I am afraid of you,” 
is another verse supposed to contain a repeal. No 
one could intelligently interpret this passage as in¬ 
cluding under the term “ days or times,” the weekly 
Sabbath. The apostle writes to Gentile converts, 
who had been seduced from the simplicity of Christ, 
by those who plead for an observance of the cere¬ 
monial rites and appointments, in connexion with 
the institutions of the gospel, and says, he is afraid 
of them, because they were returning to the weak 
and beggarly elements. Nothing, therefore, can be 
deduced from this verse, until it is shown that the 
Sabbath, instituted before the law, and then again 
written in the Decalogue, is a part of the weak and 
beggarly elements which bring into bondage, and 
that the apostle feared their observance of the Lord’s 
day. 

The only remaining passage on which any stress 
is laid, as containing a release from the obligation 
f the Sabbath, under the gospel, is found in Romans 
14:5. “ One man esteemeth one day above an¬ 

other: another esteemeth every day alike. Let 
every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” 
It seems that a difference of opinion existed among 
the members of the church of Rome, in reference to 
the obligation of observing certain days as holy 
festivals. Part of the church were christianized 


94 


PERPETUAL OBLIGATION 


Jews, part Gentiles. The former, strongly attached 
to the ceremonial institutions of the law, considered 
themselves still obliged to attend to these religious 
days, and to abstain from certain meats which by 
the law were pronounced unclean ; while the latter, 
persuaded of their Christian liberty, felt themselves 
perfectly free to make no such distinction of days 
or of meats. That the apostle here writes in refer¬ 
ence to a conscientious difference of opinion and 
practice, in regard to the observance of the ritual 
meats and days, which originated in the commin¬ 
gling of Jews and Gentiles in one body, is universal¬ 
ly acknowledged. But what we have remarked in 
reference to the Sabbath, as belonging to the moral 
law, and instituted prior to the giving of the cere¬ 
monial, and therefore unaffected either by its insti¬ 
tution or abrogation, removes it entirely from all 
controversy founded on this passage. Before there 
is even any room for argument from this verse, it 
must be proved that the Sabbath was a ceremonial 
institution. 

Although, at first sight, this language might seem 
to do away all distinction of days, a little observa¬ 
tion will convince you that it only speaks of cere¬ 
monial distinctions. For, in verses 2d and 3d, you 
find it asserted absolutely, that one believed he might 
eat all things: another ate only herbs, but he that 
eateth must not despise him that eateth not. Now, 
it is clear, that none of them supposed they might 
eat all things absolutely considered, but without re - 


OF THE SABBATH. 


95 


ference to any ceremonial distinctions of clean and 
unclean animals. Nor were there any who did not 
eat at all; but the phrase “ him that eateth not,” is 
necessarily interpreted of his not eating the cere¬ 
monially unclean animals, or of his abstinence from 
all flesh , lest he might be defiled. So also of the 
days, the difference of opinion was about ceremonia 
days, as of ceremonial meats. 

There is no repeal, therefore, of the law of the 
Sabbath, in the New Testament. And even if it 
stood on the footing of a positive precept or institu¬ 
tion, and not of a moral law, it would be necessary 
to show its repeal before we dare dispense with it. 
For positive law from God is equally binding with 
moral, since God always acts and commands right¬ 
ly, and for the best reasons. But instead of repeal¬ 
ing, the Saviour has established it. He not only 
observed the Sabbath strictly, but in an exposition 
of the moral law, of which it is a part, he declared 
that he came not to destroy it, nor should one jot or 
tittle of it fail. 

Let us mortals, then, beware how we touch an 
institution of God, established immediately on the 
close of creation, renewedly enforced amid the 
thunders of Sinai, sanctioned by the example of 
Christ, and neither repealed explicitly, inferentially, 
or by its own limitation; for limit it has none. 

And let us, also, be cautious how we strip it of its 
spirituality by a mere Pharasaic observance of it, 
and how we rob it of its peculiarity as a holy day , 


96 


CHANGE 6F DAY. 


by a mistaken idea of our superior perfection, in 
freedom from all external bonds; or of its external 
service, as unsuited to the liberty and spirit of the 
new dispensation. Let us recognize and feel our 
individual obligation, repent of past transgression, 
and henceforth “ remember the Sabbath to keep it 
holy.” 


CHAPTER III. 

CHANGE OF DAY. 

It has already been proved that the date of the 
institution of the Sabbath, is rightly fixed at the 
close of the six days’ creation; and in the last dis¬ 
course, that it is of perpetual and universal obliga¬ 
tion, laying its claims unyieldingly on man wherever 
he exists, and under whatever circumstances and 
relations; 

This was established by the following arguments 
the date of the institution, removing from it local 
reference, and partial obligation—the perpetual ap¬ 
plication of the reason annexed to it, and the uni¬ 
versality of the end proposed by it—the declaration 
of the Lord of the Sabbath, that “ it was made for 
man”—prophecies which recognize its existence 
under the gospel, and, of course, to the end of time— 
the moral nature of the institution—its place in the 
Decalogue, or moral law, which is emphatically dis¬ 
tinguished from all others—and the absence from 



CHANGE OF DAY. 


97 


the scriptures of any repeal or abrogation of the 
institution. 

The change in the day on which the Sabbath is 
to be remembered and kept holy , or the transfer of 
the sanctification and blessing from the seventh to 
the first day of the week, is the next subject of con¬ 
sideration. 

As a preliminary observation, I would remark, 
that having established the divine institution of a 
Sabbath, and its present and perpetual obligation, 
those truths are entirely independent on the present 
inquiry. Whether it be proved or not, that the day 
is altered, it will be binding on all to observe a 
seventh part of their time weekly, as a day devoted 
to sacred purposes. It is agreed, on all hands, that 
the seventh was the original day of the week ap¬ 
pointed for the Sabbath. The first, is now placed 
in competition with it, as possessing higher claims. 
But if -any are not satisfied with regard to a change, 
the obligation still rests on them with all its weight, 
to keep sacred the original day. It is incumbent 
on every individual to be fully persuaded in his own 
mind, and conscientiously to set apart one of the 
days, as a holy rest unto the Lord. And that man 
is guilty, who takes occasion from the difference of 
opinion among Christians on this point, to quiet his 
conscience, and wrap himself up in the lulling con¬ 
clusion, that it is a small matter whether or not any 
Sabbath be religiously observed, whose whole object 
in attempting to overthrow the obligation of a 
I 


98 


CHANGE OF DAY. 


Christian Sabbath, seems to be, not the maintenance 
of a conscientious opinion, but the effort of living 
depravity to throw off the chains both of Mosaic 
and Christian law, and be free and unbridled in its 
race to ruin. 

A second prefatory observation worthy of remem¬ 
brance, is this, that the fourth commandment, which 
is the great law on this subject, seems clearly to 
distinguish between the Sabbath itself, as an insti¬ 
tution, and the day on which it was to be observed. 
Exodus 20: 8—11. “ Remember the Sabbath day, 

to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do 
all thy work : but the seventh day is the Sabbath of 
the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, 
thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, 
nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy 
stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the 
Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that 
in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore 
the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” 
Here, you will remark, that the Sabbath indefinitely, 
is hallowed and blessed—that the Sabbath is re¬ 
quired to be remembered, on whatever day it might 
at any period be appointed. The seventh is here 
fixed as the Sabbath under the Jewish dispensation 
and must continue to be the day until there is a 
manifest change, by the same authority which 
originally appointed it. You perceive, however, that 
by attaching the blessing and sanctification, not to 
the day, but to the Sabbath, or holy rest, (which 


CHANGE OF DAY. 


99 


undoubtedly was designedly done,) God left the way 
open for a change of the day, whenever good reasons 
for it should occur. 

From indefinite views and long habit we are apt 
to imagine the special day to be an essential and 
immutable part of the law, as if it rested as much 
on our moral relations, as the duty itself of holy 
resting a seventh part of our time. But it is only a 
circumstance, mutable at the will of the Divine 
Legislator; as much so as the place of worship. 
Worship itself, is binding on every moral being, and 
immutably binding, as resulting from his relations 
to God. But the place of assembling for worship, 
may be altered as circumstances, in view of the 
Deity, may require. It may be confined to Jerusa¬ 
lem, as it respects the Jews, while they are a peculiar 
people, or it may afterwards be located wherever 
two or three shall meet together in the name of 
Christ, to present a spiritual offering to the Lord. 

A third introductory remark seems necessary, 
that although there be no explicit injunction of the 
Christian Sabbath, no annunciation in so many 
words, that under the gospel the first day is to be 
devoted to the duties of the Sabbath, if we can dis¬ 
cover manifest reasons for its gradual rather than 
its sudden and immediate introduction, and exclusive 
obligation on all Christians, whether Jews or Gen¬ 
tiles ; and further, can recognize its appointment, in 
the authoritative example of the apostles, we may 
be as completely convinced of God’s intention as if 



100 


CHANGE OF DAY. 


I he had left the plain record of it on the pages of the 
Bible 

If the institution itself were to be abolished, re¬ 
membering all the distinctive peculiarities which 
marked its introduction, we should naturally expect 
some definite and positive abolition. But when 
merely a circumstance of the institution, a thing 
entirely adventitious, is to be altered, it may easily 
be pointed out in another, yet equally binding man¬ 
ner. When only the particular day of weekly 
time, which shall be devoted to the commemoration 
of God’s perfections, and the cultivation of holy 
dispositions, and which cannot affect the obligatory 
nature of the holy rest itself, is to be changed from 
the seventh to the first, this can be fully and clearly 
done, by apostolic practice, and the recognition ot 
that practice, by the Lord of the Sabbath himself. 

1. In proof of the change, I remark in the first 
place, that if there he a work which more gloriously 
displays the divine perfections, than that of creation, 
the presumption is, that the day of its completion 
will, thenceforth, he the Sabbath. 

Such a work, then, is the work of redemption. 
And if, when God’s plastic hand had fashioned the 
world, and clothed the earth with fragrance and 
beauty, the morning stars sang together, and all the 
sons of God shouted for joy; so, also, when the 
babe was born in Bethlehem, who was to be the 
chief agent in the work of redemption, did a multi¬ 
tude of the heavenly host announce his birth, pro- 



CHANGE OF DAY. 


101 


claiming good tidings of great joy, glory to God in 
the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men. 
And when he ascended to heaven, leading captivity 
captive, the voice of ten thousand angels was heard 
crying, “ Lift up your heads, O ye gates! even lifl 
them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of 
glory shall come in! And who is this King of glory ? 
The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in 
battle.”—He that has overcome the prince of dark¬ 
ness, and is now returning in triumph from the most 
glorious work ever achieved, having spoiled princi¬ 
palities and powers, and made a show of them 
openly. 

God’s moral government of the universe of intel¬ 
ligent beings, is his chief glory. But Jesus Christ, 
and he crucified, or, Jesus Christ in the accomplish¬ 
ment of the work of redemption, is the bright sun, 
which throws light, and warmth, and beauty, over 
this whole moral system. In this work, angels are 
ministering spirits; and every high archangel, and 
seraphim, and cherubim, will sing a louder song, 
and shout with more transporting joy, when all its 
grand purposes are fulfilled, than when they heard the 
potent word of God bidding creation into beautiful 
existence. This is the golden chain which will for 
ever bind in happy union to one another, and in higher 
and holier adoration to God, all the pure and im¬ 
mortal spirits of his great kingdom. Oh ! what a 
work is this ! Ye angels! swell your notes, and 
let the universe hear of its glory—let heaven re-echo 
12 


102 


CHANGE OF DAY. 


its praise. It is the new creation, and in compari¬ 
son with it, the former shall be remembered no 
more, nor come into mind. By it is made known 
to the principalities and powers in heavenly places, 
the manifold wisdom of God. And while the mate¬ 
rial system is continually wasting away, and the 
heavens and the earth which God brought into be 
ing and form, shall be rolled together as a scroll, 
shall wax old like a garment, and be changed as a 
vesture, the new heavens and new earth will be 
growing in beauty and glory, be permanent as the 
throne of God, and to its years there shall be no end. 

Inasmuch, then, as the work of redemption is re¬ 
cognized in the Bible as the chief work of heaven, 
is represented as intended to display to the hosts of 
seraphim and cherubim the manifold wisdom of 
God, and containing in it exhibitions of the perfec 
tions of Jehovah, which awaken the earnest investi¬ 
gation, and profound adoration of angels, who de¬ 
sire to look into it; and inasmuch as it is the great 
purpose of the Sabbath that man shall commemo¬ 
rate the attributes of God as unfolded in his works, 
the strong presumption is, that now, since a greater 
work is accomplished than when God rested from 
all which he had created and made, and his perfec¬ 
tions are more gloriously displayed in it, the com¬ 
pletion of this work will be the object of commemo¬ 
ration, and the day on which Christ entered into his 
rest, having ceased from his work as God did from 
his own , will be the day on which the righteous will 


CHANGE OF DAY. 


103 


enter into the courts of the Lord’s house; and in 
private also feel that this is the day which the Lord 
hath made and set apart for the duties of devotion. 
That day was the first day of the week, when the 
Redeemer burst the bars of death and arose tri¬ 
umphant over the grave. In accordance with these 
ideas is the prophetical declaration in Isa. 65:17,18, 
Behold I create new heavens and a new earth : and 
the former shall not be remembered nor come into 
mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that 
which I create : for behold I create Jerusalem a re¬ 
joicing, and her people a joy. An inspection of the 
passage will convince you that the prophet speaks 
of the times of the gospel. The new creation here 
mentioned, as the verses interpret themselves, is the 
church, denominated Jerusalem, and made joyful 
and glorious by the death and resurrection of her 
Lord. This new creation, you remark also, so far 
surpasses the former in glory, that it shall not be 
remembered, nor come into mind. All this seems 
to intimate that the exhibitions which were made of 
the perfections of God in the first creation, should 
dwindle into comparative nothingness before the 
brighter displays of the second—that the former 
was the mere shell, to be thrown away, when the 
pearl of great price inclosed in it should be discov¬ 
ered. And indeed the apostle, in his Epistle to the 
Ephes. 3:9,10, leads us to believe that the original 
creation of the heavens and the earth was only a 
preparatory measure for the accomplishment of a 


104 


CHANGE OF DAY. 


higher and nobler work: the moral renovation and 
confirmation in holiness of a multitude of intelligent 
creatures. He writes, God hath created all things 
by Jesus Christ, to the intent, that now unto princi¬ 
palities, and powers, in heavenly places, might be 
known by the church his manifold wisdom. The 
intention of God’s creation of all things seems to 
have been the exhibition of his glory to the hosts 
of heaven, by means of his manifold wisdom, dis¬ 
coverable in the redemption of the church. The 
latter is the magnificent temple; the former the scaf¬ 
folding employed in its erection. The one, the outer 
court of the Gentiles; the other, the holy of holies. 

It is presumable, therefore, that the wisdom of 
God would determine that the latter, after its ac¬ 
complishment, should be # com memorated in prefer¬ 
ence to the former, and by its brighter glories, so 
attract the attention of intelligent beings, as to throw 
a shade over the former, and occasion a compara¬ 
tive forgetfulness of it. And if this new creation, 
in the language of the prophet, is to be the subject 
of rejoicing and commemoration rather than the 
other, it is further presumable that the day of its 
completion, from that time forth would be the day 
of holy rest, and sacred remembrance of the works 
of Jehovah our God. 

The prophecy, moreover, has never been fulfilled, 
except in the first day commemorations of the 
Christian Sabbath: and in these it has been remark¬ 
ably and precisely accomplished. For who does not 


CHANGE OF DAY. 


105 


know that while in the prayers and praises of the 
church on this day, and in the preaching of God’s 
ministers, the old creation is occasionally the theme, 
it is the new which constitutes the burden of their 
song, and the essence of their proclamation ? We 
may therefore fairly infer that this day’s devotions 
are the institution and appointment of God, and the 
fulfilment of this prophecy. 

But while it brings to mind the sweetest recollec 
tions that can swell the bosom of the Christian, o 
animate the praises of heaven, it does not entirely 
shut out from his thoughts, or supersede the re¬ 
membrance of the original work, which laid the 
foundation of the Sabbath. It still returns every 
seventh day, and reminds him that in six days God 
made heaven and earth, and then rested from all his 
work which he had created and made. 

Seeing, then, the consummation of the work of 
creation is given as the reason for the institution of 
the Sabbath on the seventh day, and there has since 
been exhibited to the “ morning stars ” of heaven 
and the sons of men on earth, the completion of a 
far more glorious work on the morning of the first, 
the presumption is, that the day of commemoration 
has been transferred from the seventh to the first: 
especially as the original object of commemoration 
is still preserved, while by the change of day, a 
greater and more sublime object is introduced. 

2. I infer the transfer of the Sabbath from the 
seventh to the first day of the week, from the fact, 


106 


CHANGE OF DAY. 


that there is intimation of such a change in the Old 
Testament. It certainly will be strong presumptive 
proof of the change, if under the very dispensation 
in which the holy rest was on the seventh, there be 
manifest indications of the appointment of another 
day. Such indications there are. Examine again 
Psalms 118:14,29. The Psalmist there represents 
the righteous, or the church, as rejoicing with glad¬ 
ness in their tabernacles, and opening the gates of 
righteousness that they might enter therein and 
praise the Lord. Hs adverts also to the ground of 
their rejoicing, the occasion of their praise, the 
mighty triumph of “ him that cometh in the name 
of the Lord,” to become salvation to the righteous. 
He further specifies a particular day on which the 
church rejoiced, and was exceeding glad, the day 
which the Lord hath made, and intimates that the 
appointment of this special day of praise originated 
in the fact, that the stone which the builders refused 
was become the head stone of the corner. This 
passage, by the authority of inspiration, is deter¬ 
mined to have reference to the coming of Christ, 
and the establishment of the gospel dispensation. 
The phrase, “ Blessed be he that cometh in the 
name of the Lord,” is universally interpreted by the 
Jews in reference to the Messiah, and on the occa¬ 
sion of his entry into Jerusalem, you remember, the 
multitude applied it to Jesus Christ. The “ stone 
which the builders refused ” is emphatically descrip¬ 
tive of the rejection of Christ, is by the Apostles 


CHANGE OF DAY. 


107 


attributed to him, and like the former phrase, under 
the old dispensation, has become synonymous with 
Jesus Christ. 

And when did Jesus become the head stone of the 
corner ? When did he become the salvation of the 
righteous? Was it not when he triumphed over 
every enemy, death, hell and the grave; when he 
was declared to be the Son of God with power by 
the resurrection from the dead, when for his humil¬ 
iation unto death, he was exalted and constituted 
head over all things to the church, and had given to 
him a name above every name ? Was it not on that 
bright morning when the grave surrendered its noble 
victim, and the darkness which had long hung over 
it was for ever dissipated, when the Son of God, 
strong with the power of Jehovah, burst asunder the 
fetters of the tomb, and stood forth the mighty 
conqueror, resplendent with the brightness of the 
Father’s glory, and the express image of his person ? 
On that morning, then, says the Psalmist, the voice 
of rejoicing and salvation will be in the tabernacles 
of the righteous. That is the day which the Lord 
hath made: they will rejoice and be glad in it. Yea, 
they will open the gates of the sanctuary, they will 
enter therein and praise the Lord, because his righ. 
hand hath done valiantly. The day of Christ’s 
resurrection, then, or the first day of the week, seems 
to have been pointed out as the Sabbath, or season 
of social worship under the gospel, even by the pro- 


103 


CHANGE OF DAY. 


phets of the former dispensation which is now waxed 
old and vanished away. 

3. The change in the day of the Sabbath, may 
be proved from an expression in Rev. 1: 10. “I 
was in the spirit on the “ Lord's-day.” The visions 
of John, recorded in this book, are generally sup¬ 
posed to have been about the close of the first 
century, in the 96th year of our Lord, or 63 after 
his death. It is plain therefore from John’s use of 
the phrase, that not only he, but the churches to 
which he wrote, were at this time familiar with a 
certain day denominated the Lord’s. That this was 
the first day of the week is universally admitted: 
for there is no apparent reason for such a distinction 
of any day but the first. This might naturally be 
sq distinguished from the Lord’s resurrection on that 
day. But where lies the force or propriety of the 
appellation ? Is it not in the fact that the Lord Jesus 
Christ claimed a peculiar property in it, that he 
had set it apart for himself as Lord of the Sabbath, 
o be spent in commemoration of his magnificent 
work ? What is understood by the Lord’s Supper ? 
Is it not that he has consecrated it as a memorial of 
his death, has sanctified it, or set it apart from a 
common to a sacred purpose ? Then the Lord’s-day 
is so, because he hath consecrated it to be a memo¬ 
rial of his resting from his new creation, of his 
accomplishment of a work, which more than any 
other will to all eternity magnify the perfections ot* 
Jehovah. 


CHANGE OF DAY. 


109 


On this day, as the ancient Fathers of the first 
and second centuries testify,* the Christian church 
kept their Sabbath, and attended to those private 
meditations, and public observances which belonged 
to it as a holy rest. And although the apostles 
themselves, as well as the primitive Christians went 
often into the Synagogue on the Seventh day or 
Jewish Sabbath, they did it not because they felt the 
obligation of keeping that day, but in accommoda¬ 
tion to the Jews, that by becoming all things to all 
men, they might be won over to the Christian reli¬ 
gion, and be saved. But on the first they assembled 
together, as on a day which they recognized as set 
apart by their Lord for the religious duties of the 
Sabbath. What is especially to be noted on this 
passage is, that the apostle under the inspiration of 
God, authorizes the distinction of this day as the 
Lord’s, and in so doing sanctions the religious com¬ 
memoration of it as the Sabbath, which was the 
practice of his time. 

4. We have not only the implied declaration of 
John on this point, but in proof of the change, we 


* Ignatius, a companion of the apostles, says, “ Let us no more 
Sabbatize, (i. e. keep the Jewish Sabbath,) but keep the Lord’s - 
day, on which our Life arose.”—Justin Martyr, who lived in the 
close of the first century: “On the day called Sunday is an 
assembly of all who live in the city or country'; when the memoirs 
of the apostles, and writings of the prophets, are read.”—Irenaeus. 
disciple of Polycarp, who studied with John the Evangelist: 

* “ On the Lord’s-day every one of us Christians keeps the Sab¬ 
bath, meditating on the law, and rejoicing in the works of God * 

K 



110 


CHANGE OF DAT. 


have the example of the apostles for the sacred 
observance of the first day. 

On the evening of the day of his resurrection the 
disciples were together in one place, when the Lord 
himself appeared in their midst, and pronounced 
upon them his peaceful benediction. This itself 
might prove nothing. But farther on in the chapter, 
(John 20: 26.) you find that after eight days, or on 
the return of the same day, according to the Jewish 
mode of reckoning, they were together again, and 
a second time also visited and blessed by the Lord. 
This has the appearance of an intentional assembling 
on the first day of the week. On Pentecost, also, 
which at that time occurred on the first day, the 
disciples were all with one accord in one place. 

The Apostle Paul was at none of these meetings, 
for he was not as yet converted. But you learn 
from the Acts and from Corinthians, that the 
churches planted by this apostle also observed the 
first , and not the seventh day of the week, as the 
Sabbath. When Paul came to Troas he tarried 
there seven days, and upon the first day of the week, 
when the disciples came together to break bread, he 
' preached unto them. This is related in such a 
manner as to leave the impression, that the custom 
of the church was to meet on that day for religious 
ordinances. In writing to the Corinthians, the 
apostle directs them, as he says he had done the 
Galatians, on the first day of the week to lay by 
them, as the Lord had prospered, something for the * 


CHANGE OF DAY. 


Ill 


poor persecuted Christians at Jerusalem. There is 
no apparent reason why the first day should be 
selected for this contribution, if it were not the 
known and acknowledged custom of the churches 
to distinguish that day from all others, by some 
peculiar observances. 

From all these recorded facts, then, it appears 
that both Jewish and Gentile converts kept the Sab¬ 
bath on the first day of the week, under the au¬ 
thority, and in accordance with the example of the 
apostles: and that Paul, who received his revelations 
of truth and institutions immediately from the Lord, 
consecrated the same day with the other apostles, 
although he had no intercourse with them for three 
years after his conversion; and then they added 
nothing to him, or communicated no truths which 
he had not previously known from Christ himself. 
This agreement of apostles who had not consulted 
together on the subject, strongly indicates the will 
of their common Master. Nor can we suppose 
them without authority from on high, to have pre¬ 
sumed to transfer the Sabbath from a day on which 
God had fixed it, and by their example, inculcate on 
the churches through all ages, the sanctification of 
a different day. This indisputable practice of the 
apostles carries ‘along with it all the force of law, 
and announces in intelligible language that the day 
is changed. 

, 5. The only remaining argument I shall adduce 

m proof of this point, is the transfer of the blessing 


112 


CHANGE OF DAY. 


from the seventh to th e first day of the week, or the 
Christian Sabbath. God not only sanctified, or set 
apart the holy rest of the Sabbath, but he also bless¬ 
ed it, or made it a source of blessings to those who 
observed it. Now, if the observance of the first 
day as a Sabbath, has been marked by the peculiar 
bestowment of mercies on the church; it will be a 
striking evidence that the change which is apparent 
since the days of the Apostles, has been introduced 
by the will of their Master. Otherwise God would 
be setting his seal to a human institution which has 
had the effect of abolishing his own. 

And what is the fact? Which day of the seven 
has been most blessed 7 Was it not on the first that 
the risen Redeemer twice appeared in the midst of 
his waiting disciples, and spoke a word, which from 
his lips meant more than heart can conceive. Was 
it not on this same day, while the disciples were all 
together with one accord, that the Holy Spirit was 
poured out from on high, to enlighten their minds 
in gospel views, and qualify them for extensive use¬ 
fulness in building up the kingdom of Jesus? Was 
it not on this blessed day, that under the preaching 
of Peter, three thousand souls were brought from 
darkness into light, introduced into the glorious liber¬ 
ty of the Sons of God, and made glad with antici¬ 
pations of eternal bliss? 

And what day, ever since, has been marked with 
the particular favor of heaven, and pointed out as 
the day on which he will meet with his people to 


CHANGE OF DAY. 


113 


bless them ? Is it not that on which Zion assembles j 
that on which the gates of righteousness are opened, 
that the Lord’s people may rejoice and be glad in it ? 
Oh ! how has the heart of the Christian often been 
elevated to songs of praise while he sat under the 
droppings of the sanctuary, and could say with the 
Psalmist, “ One day in the courts of the Lord is 
better than a thousand.” And with the Poet, 

“ My willing soul could stay 
In such a frame as this. 

And. sit and sing herself away 
To everlasting bliss.” 

How frequently has his soul longed, yea, even 
fainted for the courts of the Lord ! and when the Sab¬ 
bath came, often has he feasted on the word, and 
had an antepast of that endless Sabbath, where are 

“No groans to mingle with the songs 
Which warble from immortal tongues, 

No rude alarms of raging foes, 

No cares to break the long repose, 

No midnight shade, no clouded sun, 

But sacred, high, eternal noon.” 

And while attuning his heart to the praises of his 
Redeemer, he has almost thought himself seizing a 
golden harp in heaven, and joining with the chorus 
of the skies in their “ Alleluia, the Lord God Omni¬ 
potent reigneth* Let us be glad and rejoice, and 
give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb 
is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.” 

K 2 


114 


CHANGE OF DAY. 


And on this same day how many thousands have 
been born of the Spirit, and first found the name of 
Jesus precious; how many who are now in the sanc¬ 
tuary above; and how many more who shall finally 
swell the triumphs of heaven, wear the laurels of 
victory, the robes of righteousness, and be everlast¬ 
ingly blessed with the visions of God ! On this holy 
day how often has there been joy in heaven over 
the repentance of returning prodigals who had long 
been absent from their father’s house; how many 
have commenced a pilgrimage to the holy land 
above, and begun a song which angels delight to 
learn, and in which they will commingle with re¬ 
deemed spirits through all eternity—“Worthy is 
the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and 
riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and 
glory, and blessing.” 

Since, then, on this day God hath granted the 
blessing annexed to the Sabbath, we may conclude 
that it is the day also which he hath sanctified or 
set apart to be the holy rest under the gospel dispen¬ 
sation. 

On a review of the whole, we are led to a full 
persuasion that the first is now the day on which 
the Sabbath is to be remembered and kept holy, and 
that the change has taken place in conformity with 
the Divine pleasure. 

If any are not convinced by the argument, let 
such conscientiously observe the seventh day, and 
Slot shuffle off all moral obligation in regard to a 


UTILITY OF THE SABBATH. 


115 


Sabbath, because some pious persons do not see as 
we do. If they differ from us, they do it conscien¬ 
tiously, and maintain the observance of the seventh 
day* Let others who quarrel with us on the point 
of the sanctification of the first day, go and do like 
wise. Leathern not destroy God's law and author¬ 
ity, and trample it under their feet, because all good 
people do not unite in sentiment on this subject, but 
let them rather take their Bibles and determine for 
themselves, which is the day, and observe it. 


CHAPTER IV. 

THE UTILITY OF THE SABBATH. 

In conformity with the original plan, your atten¬ 
tion has been directed to the divine institution, and 
the date of the Sabbath, its perpetual obligation, and 
the change of the day. On the last topic, in proof 
of the change, it was remarked that the superior 
glory of the vork of redemption, rendering it highly 
probable that the perfections of God therein display¬ 
ed, would lay the foundation for their future com¬ 
memoration, and constitute a reason for appointing 
the day of its completion the Sabbath—the intima¬ 
tions of a change in the writings of the Prophets 
under the old dispensation itself—the application by 
John, of the expression, “ the Lord’s-day,” to the 
first day of the week—the uniform example of the 


116 


UTILITY OF 


apostles, which, in itself, is abundantly sufficient to 
establish it—and, finally, the transfer of the blessing 
from the seventh to the first day—all combined tc 
confirm us in the full persuasion, that this is ,now 
the day on which God designs the holy rest unto 
himself to be remembered and kept holy. And now 
he speaks to us, saying, Remember the Sabbath 
day, to keep it holy: the first day is the Sabbath of 
the Lord thy God. Six days shalt thou labor, and 
do all thy work, but in it thou shalt not do any work, 
thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man¬ 
servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor 
the stranger that is within thy gates: for on the 
first day of the week, did the Lord enter into his 
rest, having ceased from the work of redemption : 
wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and 
hallowed it. 

The next general division of the subject now 
claiming attention, is the utility of the Sabbath. 
This is declared in the text. “ The Sabbath was 
made for man”—for man universally, as has been 
shown; man in all circumstances and relations; in 
his private and his public character, individually 
and associatedly. And for the benefit of man also. 
It was set apart as a holy rest in accommodation to 
the constitution and nature of man, both corporeal 
and mental—as an animal, and as an immortal and 
accountable agent. All days belong to man as 
talents which he is to employ for his Master; but 
while six are given him that he may devote requisite 


THE SABBATH. 


117 


time to secular pursuits, this is set apart for his spe¬ 
cial benefit—for relief of body and mind, and the 
cultivation of holiness. 

The utility of the Sabbath is manifest , 

1. In the respite from labor which it affords both 
to man and beast. God, who made all things, best 
knows the precise nature of each, and has admirably 
displayed his wisdom in the adaptation of means to 
the end, and his kindness to all in evincing that his 
tender mercies are over all the works of his hands. 
He who gave to the laboring animals their powers 
and placed them in the circumstances in which they 
are, as the property of man, knew well how much 
labor they could healthfully and vigorously endure, 
and therefore early ordained for their relief, a cessa¬ 
tion from work, one day in seven. And he that 
can lay claim to the character of a righteous man, 
will regard the life of his beast; and in so doing, if 
they have been employed the rest of the week, will 
grant them the respite on the Sabbath which their 
Creator allowed them. 

It is found by experiment, that the life of working 
beasts is shortened, and their strength diminished by 
a continued course of labor. They actually require, 
in order to the maintenance of health and vigor, 
that the Sabbath should be a day of rest, on which 
they shall not be obliged to do any work. And its 
utility in this respect would be more apparent, if 
men more generally, were possessed of the tender 


118 


FTILITY OF 


mercies of our heavenly Father, who is good and 
kind to all. 

The same weekly relaxation from toil is required 
to sustain the animal powers of man, whether they 
have been exhausted by manual labor, or have been 
drained of their sap by the absorbing influence of 
mental effort. 

Man is an active being, endued with powers which 
qualify him for employment, and point it out as his 
duty. And that individual who wastes his life in 
idleness has forgotten one end of his being, and 
robs himself of half the joy of life. But on the 
other hand, our native activity must be bounded by 
the limits which our Maker has fixed. If we pass 
them, we dispute his wisdom, contemn his benevo¬ 
lence, and pretend to a better acquaintance with the 
capabilities of our frame, than, his who fashioned us 
in the womb, and instituted, in accordance with our 
nature, the weekly respite of the Sabbath. Every 
prudent, industrious laboring man knows that the 
work of six days is sufficiently exhausting to 
demand the rest of the seventh, and that to continue 
from day to day without a weekly cessation, would 
very soon impair his strength, and waste his life. 
Or if he does not know it, an experiment would 
very soon convince him that the Infinite Mind who 
ordained the Sabbath, has far more wisdom than he. 
The experiment has been made, and resulted as we 
might have anticipated, considering the character of 
God who made both man and the Sabbath. 


THE SABBATH. 


119 


And if those who are voluntarily employed in 
profitable industry, need the invigorating influence 
of the Sabbath, how much more do they, who are 
doomed to toil under the lash of cruel parents and 
hard masters ? The Sabbath is the poor man’s 
friend. It scatters joy and gladness over his path. 
To him it is the bursting of a bubbling fountain in 
the scorching desert—the green spot on earth’s wil¬ 
derness where his eye rests with pleasure, the rising 
of a star like that of Bethlehem, to point him to the 
place of peace! 

On other days he may be cheerless, and perhaps 
alone; but on this, his eye sparkles with delight 
while he gazes on the little family circle, and his 
heart glows with new pleasure as he looks around 
upon the children whom God hath given him, and 
enjoys a day’s communion with the wife of his 
bosom. Ye poor of the world! love the Sabbath; 
for it throws its arms around, and would protect you 
from the avaricious cravings of the rich. 

2. Its utility is manifest, in its 'promotion of 
cleanliness , health , and civility. 

Every one knows, that on the Sabbath, men are 
ashamed to appear in their usual dress, especially if 
they frequent the house of God. Almost without 
exception, therefore, you will find persons of all 
ages, and conditions of life, in possession of what 
is commonly termed “an every-day suit,” and a 
“ Sunday suit.” There are multitudes who make 
no change of any part of their clothing, until the 


120 


UTILITY OF 


eve or morn of the hallowed day; and how many 
whose skin undergoes no purifying process except 
on the approach of the Sabbath. You are all ac¬ 
quainted with the custom of mothers in washing 
their children on Saturday evening, and know how 
common it is in Summer, for almost all persons, 
especially laborers, to resort to a neighboring stream 
or pond of water, for the wholesome purpose of 
bathing. 

But if there were no Sabbath, clothes might be 
worn until they were disgusting to the eye; if there 
were no respite from wearisome toil, and men were 
obliged to labor day after day without interruption, 
who can tell how often the multitude would deem it 
convenient to apply the purifying element to the 
porous skin ? The Sabbath stands forth as a me¬ 
mento to every one, of the importance of cleanliness 
of person, and neatness of dress, and does more 
than any other instrumentality, to remove from 
evangelized nations that squalidness which charac¬ 
terizes savages. 

Immediately connected with this consequence of 
the Sabbath, is its promotion of health . This it 
does by requiring a suspension of fatiguing toil, 
which must soon wear out the system: but the 
influence it everts in this way, to which I now 
allude, is the result of the cleanliness it secures. 
One oi the requisite means for the enjoyment of 
health, is the removal of all obstructions to a free 
perspiration. If the pores are not kept open by 


TIIE SABBATH. 


121 


frequent cleansing, but are left closed by the filth 
which will soon accumulate, the system is not in 
possession of its full power of healthful action, and 
cannot be expected either to operate so vigorously, 
or so enduringly. No one can tell, therefore, other 
things being equal, how much the health of this 
nation is promoted by the regular return of a week¬ 
ly Sabbath. 

Civility , or good manners, are also cultivated to 
a high degree, by the observance of this holy day. 
The very dress which men wear, has some influence 
in regulating their behavior. There seems to be in 
the eyes of all, an incongruity between the decent 
attire which they assume on that day, and indecency 
or impoliteness of manner. Even persons, who in 
a different dress might feel at liberty to transgress 
the laws of courteousness, when they themselves 
and all around are clad in clean and comely gar¬ 
ments, seem to recognize these laws, and pay their 
deference to them. 

The company, also, in which men are found on 
the Sabbath, (if they go at all to the house of wor¬ 
ship,) the truths they hear, the associations of place 
and person, all conspire to the cultivation of refine¬ 
ment and decorum. As evil communications cor¬ 
rupt good manners, so do good associations and 
communications promote and establish them. As 
the memento of cleanliness, the hand-maid of health, 
the index to civility, the Sabbath proclaims its util¬ 
ity. 


L 


122 


UTILITY OF 


3. The Sabbath is useful, also, in humbling the 
pride of men , and recalling to mind their native 
equality. Different classes of society are recognized 
in the Bible, in pointing out the relative duties of 
masters and servants. Yet all that haughtiness of 
demeanor, and feeling of superiority, which are so 
apt to attach themselves to elevated rank, is abso* 
utely forbidden : while kindness to all, and conde¬ 
scension to those beneath us in the walks of life, is 
strictly inculcated. And nothing, perhaps, is better 
adapted to encourage and promote an attention to 
the one, and a divorcement from the other, than an 
observance of the public duties of the Sabbath. In 
the house of worship,' and even in the cessation from 
labor, men are made to feel, that God has equally 
regarded all, that they are alike made in his image, 
and alike invited to the provisions of the gospel. 
Here, the lesson is emphatically impressed, that no 
distinctions of wealth, honor, or learning, will, in 
themselves, render men more acceptable to God, or 
more worthy of his regards, and that man’s truest 
dignity consists in wearing the image of Jehovah, 
and being assimilated to him in holiness. 

Here, the only dignifying and really valuable 
distinction of the mass of mankind, is that which 
originates in the possession of true piety. Hence 
the man who is resplendent with worldly honor, or 
clothed in scarlet and purple every day, feasting 
extravagantly on the bounties of Providence, and 
ifting himself up with pride and self-importance 


THE SABBATH. 


123 


because of his adventitious circumstances, may 
often look around him in the sanctuary, and see one 
and another far below him in earthly condition, yea, 
perhaps among his own dependants, who, in the 
sight of God, is of great price, and exalted to hea¬ 
venly places in Christ Jesus. He may see in a 
Lazarus, an heir of glory, a resident of the skies, 
a man high in honor with God, because of his moral 
qualities, while he himself, elevated though he be in 
worldly pomp and grandeur, is actually sunk far 
beneath him in everything which is durably good, 
and lastingly distinctive. But for the influence of 
the Sabbath, then, we might expect to see the aris¬ 
tocracy of wealth and power marching with far 
more rapid stride to complete dominion, than it now 
does, and laying its subjugating and enslaving hand 
on the laboring and dependent classes of men. 

4. The utility of the Sabbath is further apparent, 
in the opportunity which it affords to man for re¬ 
fection on his duty and destiny. It will be granted 
by all, that this is but the portico of man’s existence, 
the germ of his future being—that he is endued with 
capacities of knowledge and enjoyment, which as¬ 
similate him to angels, and even to God himself— 
that he is destined to employ those powers, either in 
everlasting obedience and love, or in eternal disobe¬ 
dience, malevolence and wo, accordingly as they have 
been directed here to the glory of God, or debased 
in the worship of self, and service of sin—and, 
wherefore, that it is infinitely important for every 


124 


UTILITY OF 


child of Adam, to wake up in his mind reflections 
on his present spiritual condition, and future pros¬ 
pects. There are things belonging to our peace, 
which shall be for ever hid from our eyes, unless 
we employ the passing moments of time, in solemn 
pondering over them, and frequent seeking after 
them. 

But during the rest of the week, mankind are so 
engrossed in business and pleasure, so overwhelmed 
in worldly occupations, so devoted to secular plans 
for accumulating what they shall eat, what they 
shall drink, and wherewithal they shall be clothed, 
that if no silent Sabbath intervened to remind them, 
by its solemn stillness, of the quiet of the tomb, and 
the unknown vast of eternity, they would forget 
altogether that this life is not their home, and that 
they here act in reference to a future world. On 
this sacred day, however, the mind, which has for 
six days been wholly buried in the world, is directed 
to some reflections on its accountability, and its 
crimes. And although it be not religiously observed,, 
yet will its holy light often blaze upon the soul of 
the sinner, overwhelm him with conviction of guilt, 
stop him in his path of sin, point him to the courts 
of the Lord’s house, and restrain him from the in¬ 
dulgence of his unholy propensities, and wayward 
dispositions. 

And to the Christian, whose time and thoughts 
have been necessarily much occupied with the cares 
of the world, how welcome is the day of rest, when 


THE SABBATH. 


125 


fie can lay aside his ordinary employments, and 
spend his hours in meditating on the law of God, 
and the hopes of the believer in Christ! It comes 
over him like a gale, bearing on its bosom the hal¬ 
lowing peace of heaven. It descends upon him 
weekly, like the dew of Hermon, even the dew that 
descended on the mountains of Zion; where the 
Lord commanded the blessing, even life for ever¬ 
more. It meets him like a returning angel of mercy, 
whose visits are far enough between, and who comes 
from the everlasting hills with life and immortality 
in his hands.—Precious day! may thy light never 
leave us—thine influences never depart—thy glory 
never fade! 

5. The utility of the Sabbath is manifest, again, 
in the opportunity it affords for moral and religious 
instruction , and the diffusion of useful knowledge . 
The value of instruction, both to the individual, the 
community, and the nation, will be recognized by 
all. And of all instruction, that is best which is 
most meliorating to the heart, and of most practical 
utility in life. Such" is the instruction which is 
peculiarly imparted on the Sabbath. It is that which 
discloses duty, and has a direct bearing on the inter¬ 
ests of all. On this day, the Bible is opened in the 
pulpit, and the living teacher expounds its truths to 
the people, and addresses them in their practical 
influences to the conscience. And by this means, 
with almost no expense, there is communicated to 
L 2 


126 


UTILITY OF 


/he mass of people, a greater amount of valuable 
knowledge than can be estimated. 

But leaving the pulpit, go into the domestic sanc¬ 
tuary, and witness there a scene which has sent 
gladness into many a heart, and has done more for 
the morality of this nation, than all her public 
schools, or legal enactments. See the father of a 
family, the paternal shepherd, gathering his little 
flock around him, making them to lie down in green 
pastures, and beside the still waters. See him in the 
midst of those whom his heart loves, open the sacred 
pages, and call their attention to the story of Joseph, 
and the goodness of Joseph’s God—then point them 
to the babe of Bethlehem, the man of sorrows, the 
persecuted and dying, yet meek, submissive and 
benevolent Jesus; and while he tells them that their 
sins were the nails and the spear, which fastened 
him to the cross, and opened the veins of his body; 
that he left heaven to die thus for them, you may 
see one and another catching his words with listen¬ 
ing ear, and weeping tears of sympathy. Yes; 
and you may follow them out into the shadows and 
realities of life, and you will find that an impression 
has been made by the familiar instruction of the 
fireside, which has restrained them from the haunts 
of wickedness, and probably led them into the church 
of God. Or if one wanderer hath forgotten the 
pious lessons of his childhood, in the gay follies of 
youth, often in the energy of manhood, or on the 
verge of old age, will they steal upon his ear like 


THE SABBATH. 


127 


the whisperings of spirits, and wake him up from 
his long dream of forgetfulness. And if not, on his 
dying bed he will confess, that often in his wayward 
course, did the shadow of his godly father flit before 
him, or the voice of his pious mother reach his 
heart, and throw a momentary check over his 
visions of folly, and his schemes of crime. 

The Sabbath certainly operates most beneficially 
in presenting a suitable occasion to parents, for 
training up their children in the nurture and admo¬ 
nition of the Lord. During the days of business, 
they are not so much at leisure to assemble their 
families around them; nor are children generally so 
much disposed to attend to pious instruction on any 
other day. Their minds are then preoccupied with 
their plays, and objects of pleasure. But on the 
holy day which they have been taught to remember, 
on which they see all work suspended, and the Bible 
and religious books placed on the table, they are 
prepared to hear and to feel. And as parents value 
their children’s souls, and their country’s prosperity, 
let them not neglect on the Sabbath day, to gather 
their family about them, and in the use of some 
familiar and approved catechism, or from the foun¬ 
tain itself, infuse into their tender minds, the great 
facts and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I remarked also, that the Sabbath opened the way 
for an extensive diffusion of useful knowledge. I 
had in view especially, the Sabbath School. 

If there were no Sabbath, there would be na 


128 


UTILITY OF 


Sabbath School. And the express object of this 
institution, is to inculcate on the minds of youth, 
the high value, and absolute importance of holiness, 
which will not only ripen them for heaven, but ren¬ 
der them peaceful, industrious, and civil members of 
society, and also open up to them individually, 
springs of enjoyment, which are concealed from 
the world. Oh ! how many a poor little wanderer 
in this wide wilderness, cast out in desolate penury, 
has been taken up by some devoted Sabbath School 
Teacher, led to this nursery of godliness, made rich 
in the treasures of heaven, and become an ornament 
to the community in which he moved; or perhaps, 
as a messenger of the cross, planted his banner on 
the far hills of some heathen land! And how many 
thousands are here receiving instruction, and grow¬ 
ing up for usefulness, who otherwise had died in 
ignorance, sloth, and crime. 

There is still another light in which this subject 
ought to be contemplated. By means of the Sab¬ 
bath School there are circulated extensively, books 
and tracts of an interesting and profitable character, 
which are not only read by the children, but often 
attract the attention of parents themselves, and have 
in many instances become an arrow of conviction, 
and an instrument of regeneration. No one can 
tell how much of the most practically useful know¬ 
ledge is thus diffused through society, and how much 
of the moral conduct of men is attributable to this 
cause But were there no Sabbath, and of course 


THE SABBATH. 129 

no Sabbath School, all this moral power would be 
lost, and the remainder might be unequal to the task 
of sustaining the weight of corruption and ruin 
which is balanced against it. The Sabbath, then, is 
pre-eminently useful as a mean of diffusing truth, 
and impressing it on the mind. 

6. Finally, the utility of the Sabbath is apparent 
in its moral efficacy in preserving the worship of 
the true God , and sustaining a sense of account¬ 
ability. You may walk over the length and breadth 
of any land, where the Sabbath and all its precious 
and reforming influences have never been known, 
and your eye will meet no pure worshipper of the 
living Jehovah ; and you may plant your foot on the 
portal of no temple dedicated to the service of the 
Eternal and Holy One- But instead, you will every¬ 
where find the deluded multitude bowing their knees 
to the workmanship of their own hands, having 
changed the glory of the incorruptible God, into an 
image made like unto corruptible man, and to birds, 
and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. And 
if you follow them to their fanes, you witness, most 
probably, the defiling worship of a prostitute goddess. 

Or you may go to those who have lived under the 
light of Gospel truth, but have no regard for the 
Sabbath of God, and their conceptions of the Deity 
are such, (if they are not actual Atheists,) as leave 
them entirely irresponsible for their conduct, and 
sweep away from their minds all sense of account¬ 
ability to God. Look at infidel France, when she 


130 


UTILITY OF 


strikes out of her statute-book the weekly Sabbath, 
and substitutes the Decade. She has the counte¬ 
nance and the mien of a maniac, and seems rushing 
to her own ruin, and looking fury in the face of her 
best friends. She cries night and day up and down 
the streets, “ There is no God,” and pays her formal 
devotions to the substituted goddess of Reason. She 
lights up a fire and burns the Bible, or for the 
amusement of the people and the gratification of her 
maniacal and fiendish spirit, ties it to the tail of an 
ass, and parades it through the market-places. She 
drives her horses and cattle into the house of God, 
swears there is no immortality, and that death is an 
eternal sleep; wishes she might imbrue her hands 
in the blood of the Redeemer, talks with Satanic 
malevolence of the delight it would have given her 
to drive the nails, and thrust the spear, and builds 
her thousand altars to be stained with the blood of 
millions of human victims. And when she has 
accomplished her purpose, and stripped herself of 
her glory, she goes out naked, to die unblest and 
unlamented, without a mourner to follow her to the 
tomb. And let those who would abolish the Sab¬ 
bath, or lessen its sanctity in the eyes of men, go 
and sit upon her grave, and ponder well the course 
she took, and the end to which it conducted her. 
Let them go and call up her spirit from the shades 
of the sepulchre, and inquire of it whether the ob¬ 
servance of the Sabbath is not the safeguard of 
liberty and religion; and whether its neglect is not 


THE SABBATH. 


131 


paving the way for the introduction of infidelity and 
scepticism, and the loss of individual and national 
accountability, and with tears of blood she will an- 
swer in the affirmative, and solemnly warn you not 
to tread in her steps. 

^ And let it not be thought that the Bible is suffi¬ 
cient in itself, without the Sabbath, to pre vent these 
consequences, and diffuse a wholesome moral prin¬ 
ciple. It is not. Without the energies of this holy 
rest,Jt could make little impression on the stony 
heart of man. And therefore God appoints the Sab¬ 
bath and the ministry of reconciliation in union with 
it, that he may summon up the attention of men to 
its important and essential lessons. No; without 
the sanctity of this precious day, the Bible and all 
other moral influences would fade away, and die 
from off the earth. They would be but a “ broken 
reed at best” before the mighty strength of unre¬ 
strained corruption. Law and gospel would both 
be forgotten, and the moral government of Jehovah 
be trodden under foot. 

And in confirmation of this assertion, you may 
look to cities and towns in your own land, where 
the Sabbath is little regarded, and you see God dis¬ 
honored, his name wantonly profaned, and all his 
laws set at nought. And just in proportion as this 
day is desecrated, will the knowledge and worship 
of the true God fail from the mind, the moral sense 
of the nation be impaired, its power decay, its foun¬ 
dations be destroyed, and its pillars fall. And then 


132 


UTILITY OF 


it will stand forth a monument of the wisdom of 
God, and the folly of man; and it will hold up to 
the light, the too much forgotten farewell sentiment 
of the Father of this country, that “ national moral¬ 
ity cannot prevail in exclusion of religious princi¬ 
ple.” And we may add, that religious principle will 
not pervade a community, in exclusion of the Sab¬ 
bath, which is the only sufficiently general, impres¬ 
sive, and popular medium of inculcating it. 

REFLECTIONS. 

1. I might call your attention to many reflections 
arising from this subject; as the gratitude with 
which the Sabbath should be received and observed, 
the enormity of the sin of its profanation, the im¬ 
portance of faithfully performing its public and pri¬ 
vate duties; but I shall omit these, and state, as the 
first inference, the importance of a strict regard 
for the Sabbath in civil rulers , and legislative as - 
semblies. 

Men in the high places of power are prone to for¬ 
get their responsibility to God; and so dizzied are 
they by their splendid elevation, that they seem to 
look upon themselves as rightfully exempted from 
present obligation. Yea, it is too common for them 
to glory in their shame, to boast of their exemption 
from puritanical severity, and superstitious bigotry, 
and to think highly of themselves, because when at 
Rome, they can do as Rome does, and rise above 
the stricter practices, and holier feelings of home. 


THE SABBATH. 


133 


But how they actually demean themselves by such 
a course, in the eyes of all reflecting and judicious 
persons ! Oh ! that they felt how much is commit¬ 
ted to them, how their acts tell upon the nation, and 
send down into every corner of the land, either life 
or death ! And do they not know, that by all their 
crimes, and especially by the breach of the Sabbath, 
they are robbing this peaceful land of its only hope ? 
Are they not aware that by converting the Lord’s- 
day into a mere holiday, and by their example en¬ 
couraging its profanation, they are opening up the 
sluices of depravity, infusing poison into the vitals 
of the Republic, and scattering fire-brands and death 
among the people ? Do they not know that when¬ 
ever this organ of the Divine administration is im¬ 
paired, the moral government of God loses its in¬ 
fluence over the minds of men, and leaves them to 
misrule and confusion ? Oh! that they were wise, 
that they understood this! And oh ! that I could 
whisper into their ears, that at some future day their 
children may rise up and call them accursed, for 
stealing away from them the moral efficacy of reli¬ 
gious institutions, and with it the peace and order, 
the liberty and joy, of a happy government! 

When rulers sin, the land mourns. When they 
break the Sabbath, they pursue a miserable policy, 
they weaken the bonds of society, break in sunder 
the strong cords of religious obligation, and leave 
us nothing to bind the passions of the human heart, 
save the brittle thread of civil law, which, unsup- 
M 


UTILITY OF 


134 

ported by the moral restraints of religious institu¬ 
tions, is weaker before them than the shadows of 
night before the rising sun. 

With a slight alteration, the language of another 
on a different subject may be adapted to that before 
us. “ The hand that lays its polluting touch on the 
altars of God, and undermines the foundations of 
the Sabbath, is the hand of death unbarring the 
gates of Pandemonium, and letting loose upon our 
land the crimes and the miseries of hell. And even 
if the Most High should stand aloof, (which he will 
not,) and cast not a single.ingredient into our cup 
of trembling, it would seem to be full of superlative 
wo.” Then let our rulers, as they regard the au. 
thority of the Lord of Sabaoth, as they would be 
the real benefactors and guardians of their country, 
as they value the best interests of posterity, and the 
happiness of the world, withhold themselves from 
a profanation of God’s day, and by a moral exam¬ 
ple diffuse over this nation the wholesome restraints, 
and gladdening influences of the Divine govern¬ 
ment. Then will the people rise up and call them 
blessed. 

2. Let every man who would lay claim to 'pat¬ 
riotism and be thought a good member of civil 
society , keep back his foot from polluting the Sab¬ 
bath. 

It is manifest, from the preceding remarks, that 
the Sabbath-breaker strikes at the root of all that is 
peaceful and orderly, and opens the way for the 


THE SABBATII. 


135 


spread of irreligion, infidelity, and moral death 
The man who by his example weakens the perva¬ 
ding sense of obligation to God, and overthrows the 
authority of a Divine institution, does so much to¬ 
ward the ruin of his country, and is one of its worst 
enemies. He may not feel himself to be so, but he 
is so in reality. 

We can little regard a man’s boasts of patriotism, 
his fourth of July orations, his flaming toasts, his 
shouldering of his musket on public days, when we 
see him regardless of the laws of God, and by an 
immoral example sapping the foundations of repub¬ 
lican government. He is no patriot at heart. For 
the real friend of his country will avoid every course 
which is manifestly ruinous to its interests, and will 
uphold every institution which is promotive of its 
welfare. And what more so than the Sabbath ? 

And here recall the noble sentiments of the vene¬ 
rated Washington. “ Of all the dispositions and 
habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and 
morality are indispensable supports. In vain would 
that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should 
labor to subvert these great pillars of human happi¬ 
ness, these firmest props of the duties of men and 
citizens. The mere politician equally with the pious 
man, ought to respect and cherish them.” Would 
that his mantle had dropped upon the world, and 
were now worn by his children in this land! 

I repeat it, it is vanity for that man to lay claim 
vO the tribute of patriotism, who by his example and 


136 


UTILITY OF 


influence in reference to the Sabbath, is subverting 
religion and morality, those great pillars of human 
happiness. He may have much of the milk of hu¬ 
man kindness, may possess the sweet charities of 
life, may be amiable, and admired for his talents and 
usefulness in other respects, yet if he break the 
fourth commandment, and teach men so, he shall 
not only be of no esteem in the kingdom of heaven, 
but is certainly laying the axe at the root of his 
country’s brightest hopes. 

3. A third inference is, that they who are anxious 
for the 'preservation of the Sabbath from desecra¬ 
tion , and whose anxiety has waked them up to peti¬ 
tion the councils of the nation to withdraw govern¬ 
mental example and sanction from polluting this 
holy day, so far from being the enemies of their 
country’s liberty, are decidedly her best friends; 
consulting for her welfare in the fear of God, and 
in accordance with the lessons of experience. 

It is true, they have been denounced as a combi¬ 
nation of priests, aiming at the overthrow of our 
civil, and the establishment of ecclesiastical govern¬ 
ment ; they have been cried down as guilty of high 
treason against the commonwealth, and have been 
branded with the infamy of scheming for revolu¬ 
tion ; but the meanwhile in their innocence and in¬ 
tegrity have they been weeping between the porch 
and the altar, because men forsake the law of God, 
and pave the way for the uprooting of their fair in¬ 
heritance from their pious fathers. They know that 


THE SABBATH. 


137 


republican government cannot exist without the per¬ 
vasion of moral principle secured by the Sabbath. 
And they know also that the gospel with its institu¬ 
tions, is the only thorough reformer, that vyhere its 
truths are unknown, its motives unfelt, its high 
sanctions unrealized, there will assuredly be the 
death of ail that is purifying and peaceful. 

Who are now the profane, the debauched, the 
noisy, the riotous, the friends of theatres, of races, 
of masquerades, of public balls, of duelling ? Are 
they not precisely those who are irreligious, and 
contemners of gospel institutions ? 

And on what do these political dreamers found 
their hopes of seeing this nation a century hence the 
fairest and happiest land on God’s footstool ? Is it 
on our facilities of trade and commerce, on our 
productive soil, our growing population, our free 
institutions, our unshackled press ? But do they not 
know that all these things are only the elements of a 
greater conflagration, if the kindling flame be not 
extinguished by pouring out upon it the waters of 
life; if the foundations be not strengthened by the 
firm props of religious and moral principle 1 

Friends of your country, awake! put on the 
armor of the gospel, shine forth in the splendor of 
whatsoever things are pure, honest, lovely, and of 
good report, and put forth the strong arm of prayer 
to uphold the Sabbath. 

4. Finally. Let us inquire, how have we ob- 

M 2 


138 


DUTIES OF 


served the Sabbath? What is our example, what 
our influence? Are we venerators of the institutions 
of God, or can we lightly esteem the obligations, 
and wantonly break the laws of the Gospel ? 


CHAPTER V. 

THE DUTIES OF THE SABBATH. 

This chapter will embrace the final topic,—the 
duties of the Sabbath. 

Dr. Paley has remarked, that “ if the Sabbath be 
binding on Christians, it must be so, as to the day 
the duties, and the penalty.” 

In reference to the day, there can be no doubt 
that whenever it is pointed out by Divine authority, 
it is equally obligatory with the rest itself. But that 
the day originally fixed, must be immutably binding, 
can certainly never be contended. That part of a 
moral or immutable law, which is only circumstan¬ 
tial or ceremonial, may be changed at any time by 
the will of the Supreme Legislator. If the original 
day never has been altered by the proper authority 
then it is assuredly binding. But if the evidence 
adduced for a change be satisfactory, then the new 
day becomes as obligatory as the original one under 
the former dispensation. 

As to the penalty , it must be known to all familiar 
with the Bible, that under the old dispensation, in 



THE SABBATII. 


139 


which God sustained the relation of civil Ruler, as 
well as Jehovah to be worshipped, there were an¬ 
nexed civil penalties even to moral statutes. Hence 
an idolater, who disobeyed the first and second 
commandments of the Decalogue, and a child who 
disobeyed the fifth, were both put to death; as was 
also the Sabbath-breaker, by a public stoning. If, 
then, the merely civil penalty be binding equally 
with the law of the Sabbath itself, and the one can¬ 
not exist without the other; neither can the worship 
of God, and obedience to parents, (moral duties,) be 
binding, withouj the annexed penalty of death. But 
who would argue thus? The truth is, that these 
severe penalties attached to certain moral laws, were 
entirely of a political nature, and originated in the 
civil relations which the Jewish people sustained to 
God as their Governor. These relations to that 
peculiar people being now dissolved, all the laws 
and penalties which grew out of them, are of course 
no longer obligatory, while they cannot at all affect 
the immutable nature of moral precepts. The 
everlasting penalty, however, which is in all cases 
the ultimate and principal, is now, as ever, binding 
on every impenitent Sabbath-breaker, or violator of 
any of God’s moral statutes. 

The duties of the Sabbath, it is contended, remain 
untouched, and still binding, as pointed out in the 
law, the prophets, and the gospel. These are, in 
fact, the law itself, and this we have found to be 
perpetually and universally obligatory. They are 


140 


DUTIES OF 


no circumstantial part of the law, are enforced by 
the example of God himself, made equally binding 
on all in the fourth commandment, and nowhere 
rescinded in the New Testament, either by the 
direct precept, or example of our Lord or his apostles. 

To these duties, therefore, as indicated in the law 
itself, and in the interpretations of the prophets, the 
Master, and the apostles, we shall now direct our 
attention, and consider them under the two general 
heads of rest from the lawful engagements of other 
days , and devotion to religious services . 

1. Rest from lawful engagements of other days . 
I make use of the term lawful, because no one 
would suppose universally sinful conduct to be per¬ 
mitted on the Sabbath, and also to intimate that 
such is the peculiar sanctity of the day, as to render 
unlawful, employments which at other times are 
absolute duties. 

This proposition, which determines the negative 
duties of the Sabbath, is evidently founded on the 
law itself, which reads, “ Remember the Sabbath 
day, to keep it holy: in it thou shalt not do any 
work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man¬ 
servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor 
thy stranger that is within thy gates.” Here every 
member of every family, is absolutely prohibited 
from being employed in any work which is not 
either demanded by the constitution of human 
nature, and the relations of the human family, or 
connected with the worship of God. That those 


THE SABBATH. 


141 


limitations are to be put on the general prohibitory 
term “any,” might be easily shown by an appeal 
to the authorized interpretations of the precept, and 
may be inferred from part of the law itself. It is 
written, six days shalt thou labor and do all thy 
work. It is manifest that the word “ all ” in this 
clause, does not include the appropriate works of the 
Sabbath, those of compassion, and those belonging 
& the service of God, and command all these to be 
done in the six days, but requires the completion of 
our secular employments before the arrival of the 
Sabbath. Any of these works, therefore, all of 
which are to be done in six days, may not be per¬ 
formed on the Sabbath. 

There is the same exclusion of secular business, 
and obligation of withholding from it in the original 
institution, when God sanctified the Sabbath. The 
sanctification of days, as all familiar with the Bible 
know, can only mean the distinguishing them from 
others for sacred purposes. But how is the Sabbath 
thus distinguished, unless men on that day are re¬ 
quired to rest from that pursuit of business, and 
those secular occupations, which are appropriate on 
other days ? 

Other interpretations of the law, (and surely every 
legislator is at liberty to interpret his own laws,) 
scattered through Exodus, Nehemiah, and the Pro¬ 
phets, make it certain that every kind of secular 
engagement, exclusively of the limitations specified, 
is prohibited on the Sabbath. The gathering of 


142 


DUTIES OF 


manna for food, of wood for fuel, of grain or hay 
in harvest, the sowing of seed, the bearing of bur¬ 
dens, every species of trade, and all kinds of work 
which require laboring animals; for these are enti¬ 
tled to the rest on the authority of God. # 

There is in Isaiah 58:13, a passage which em¬ 
braces in a few words, a summary exposition of that 
part of the law, which requires abstinence from the 
ordinary employments of the week. It consists in 
“ not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own 
pleasure, nor speaking thine own words.” Six days 
are ours in distinction from the seventh, which God 
calls his own, because on those days we are permit¬ 
ted to give our attention to what is necessary for 
our temporal well-being and comfort. Our “ own 
ways,” therefore, are not those which are at all 
times sinful, but those lawful ways which we pur¬ 
sue by God’s authority six days of the week. These 
are to be suspended on the Sabbath, that we may 
devote ourselves to those ways which are God’s dis¬ 
tinctively from our own. 

This branch of the subject, then, may be embraced 
in a resting from thoughts , conversation , and action 
which are secular in their character , and lawful on 
other days of the week. 

1. Secular or worldly thoughts . Although this 
may not be directly specified, no one can doubt that 


* See Exod. 16:22—30. 23:12. 34:21. 35:2,3. Num. 15:32- 
36. Neh. 10:31. 13:15—22. Jer. 17:19—27. Amos 8:5—10. 




THE SABBATH. 


143 


ft is intended. If a man be occupied during the day 
in thoughts on his business, his plans of accumu- 
lating wealth, his means and prospects of earthly 
enjoyment, he is evidently finding his own pleasure, 
and he only wants a release from the restraints of 
law, in order to his acting out his thoughts. God 
* looketh at the heart, and therefore worldly desires 
carnal affections, and secular schemes, occupying 
the mind on the Sabbath, must be, in his view, as 
far as the individual himself is concerned, a direct 
violation of the command enjoining rest from lawful 
occupations of other days. 

2. Worldly conversation . This is expressly for¬ 
bidden. “ Not speaking thine own words.” But 
how awfully is this part of the requirement forgot¬ 
ten ! Politicians hesitate not to meet in the tavern, 
or at the corner, to scan the merits of respective 
candidates, to calculate probabilities of success, and 
enter into warm debate on points of character or 
policy. The merchant discourses on the prices of 
goods, the present demand and supply, and the pro¬ 
fits of various articles. The lawyer calls some 
brother of the profession into his office, and together 
they argue some disputed point of law, or some an¬ 
ticipated case of the next court. The farmer talks 
of the weather, the poor corn, the good wheat of the 
year, and the expected rises and falls in the market. 
The devotees of fashion can tell you of every new 
bonnet, and every tawdry dress, and almost reli¬ 
giously some will descant on the folly and pride of 


114 


DUTIES OF 


the wearers of tinkling ornaments, chains, and 
bracelets, and rings, and jewels, of mantles, and 
hoods, and veils. Others admire the eloquence of 
the preacher, the ease and gracefulness of his deliv¬ 
ery, or the purity and perspicuity, or beauty and 
force of the style. And others again, after public 
service, assemble in little neighborly groups, not to 
praise God, and cultivate holy feelings and practi¬ 
cal godliness, but to judge their fellows, measure all 
by their own rule, attribute motives which are not 
apparent, and find fault with those who, perhaps 
are better Christians than themselves. 

This post requires all our watchfulness. It is weak 
and much exposed to the attacks of the enemy. 
How easily do the people of God fail here! How 
imperceptibly do they slide into conversation on the 
mere circumstances of religion, and then fall into 
the common talk of the world! Beware of speak¬ 
ing thine own words on the holy Sabbath, lest the 
spiritual duties and enjoyments of the day, finally 
become a weariness, and the hopes of the Christian 
forsake thee for ever. 

3. Rest from worldly actions , or the employments 
of business and pleasure, is required as a duty of 
the day. That public business should be suspended 
shops shut, farming implements laid aside, schools 
closed, courts and legislatures adjourned, and pub¬ 
lic worship, if possible, attended, seems to be pretty 
generally acknowledged. Yet there are many who 
think it no harm to take a walk or ride for pleasure 


THE SABBATH. 


145 


to stroll about the streets, assemble at corners, spend 
their hours in the garden admiring the flowers, (not 
piously,) or range the farm to examine the fences, 
and only put up a rail if it have fallen out of place, 
or to watch the growth of their fruit trees, and cal¬ 
culate the quantity of their apples. Others deem it 
no violation of the command, to receive and answer 
letters of any description, to read political newspa¬ 
pers, or scientific, literary, and fictitious works, to 
cast up their accounts, and make arrangements for 
the morrow’, to sit in their offices and read Black- 
stone, or weigh the evidence on some pending cause, 
or if they be physicians, to take up a late number 
of the Medical Recorder, and lie in bed late in the 
morning, that the rest of the day may be necessarily 
employed in visiting patients, or if they be farmers, 
much occupied in putting in their seed, or gathering 
their harvest, to postpone sending for the doctor to 
prescribe for a wife or daughter who has been sick 
all week, until they have filled up their own time, 
and can rob God of his, and the physician of his 
right, by calling him away on the Sabbath. Then 
they lose no work, and quiet conscience with a good 
excuse for violating the holy rest. 

Others take it to be a very convenient day foi 
visiting friends, and spending a few hours with them, 
when they need not be at the trouble of dressing on 
purpose, nor take any time from their daily employ 
ments in the family. 

But 1 wish particularly under this head to exam* 

N 


146 


DUTIES OP 


#’ 


me some of the more plausible breaches of the 
Sabbath, and show how ill-founded are the excuses 
which are offered in support of them. If these 
cannot be sustained, much less those violations which 
are ordinary. 

First, I shall notice the conduct of attorneys and 
judges in going to court. The excuse is, that the* 
session commences on Monday, and they are en¬ 
gaged in causes which require an early attendance, 
or they may lose employment by not being present 
on the morning of the first day. 

It may be replied, that no law of their country 
can either require or authorize them, to infringe on 
the laws and rights of Jehovah. If courts must 
commence on Monday, (for which there is no neces¬ 
sity,) then, in cases where it would be impossible to 
arrive sufficiently early by setting off at day-light, 
it becomes a duty to leave home on Saturday, and 
proceed either a part or the whole of the way. But 
here self intervenes, and pleads a trifle more of 
expense which it cannot afford, or a family with 
whom it would be pleasant to remain a day longer, 
or some business at home that may be lost by leaving 
on Saturday. In regard to the expense which 
might accrue from an additional day’s absence, by 
leaving home on Saturday, it would in few eases 
amount to anything. For where boarding is wanted 
during a week or two, one day seldom makes any 
difference in the charge. And even if the expense 
were something more, it would be a trifling excuse 


THE SABBATH. 


147 


for a breach of God’s law, an excuse which would 
blush to appear in the light of Christ’s judgment 
throne. 

The pleasure of being longer present with a 
family, also, and the probability of securing some 
business by remaining at home on Saturday, are 
both excuses which arise from seeking our own 
things in preference to the things of Jesus Christ, the 
honor of God’s law, and the best interests of the 
community. The authority of Jehovah is para¬ 
mount. It pervades all classes and all relations. It 
requires of legislators so to frame their laws, as not 
to interfere with the rights of the Supreme Judge of 
the nations, and of lawyers to keep their feet from 
polluting the Sabbath, and beware of treading on 
this holy ground with unholy step. It has, also, so 
linked together duty and interest, that no one who 
conscientiously obeys, will ever be the loser. 

A second mode of interfering with the prohibitory 
clause of the law requiring rest from secular en¬ 
gagements lawful on other days, is that which some 
people adopt in making a delay at a place of public 
worship during the services, and then proceeding on 
their journey, quieting every monition of conscience 
by the past services of the sanctuary. I have known 
persons to be off early on the Sabbath morning with 
the intention of riding twelve or fifteen miles to 
some town or country congregation, tarrying there 
Ions: enough to hear a sermon, and have themselves 
and horses refreshed, then advancing as many more 


148 


DUTIES OF 


miles. Thus they will have accomplished a pretty 
good day’s journey, and very piously have kept the 
Sabbath also. This is sometimes done when there 
is preaching in the place where they lodged on 
Saturday night, or somewhere near it, yet to carnal 
reasoning it will appear that they may hear as good 
a sermon, and perhaps better, ten or fifteen miles on 
the way; and therefore it will be perfectly justifiable 
to proceed with this in prospect. 

“ But if there be no preaching convenient to our 
Saturday night lodging, may we not as profitably 
travel, and meditate by the way, as tarry where we 
are ?” I answer, no; and shall give the reasons 
under a succeeding head. 

Others have some farm, or factory, or forge, or 
furnace, fifteen or twenty miles off, at which they 
wish to be, early on Monday morning. The best 
way of accomplishing it, will be to leave home on 
Sabbath morning, (although they might have heard 
preaching there,) ride half way, less or more, to the 
house of God, which happens to be on the road, and 
either abide there with some friends, or if there be 
a prayer-meeting, or any religious exercises, a few 
miles farther on, conclude to embrace the privilege 
of being present: and now they are within sight of 
their farm or factory, or it may be on the very spot. 
Yet they endeavor to persuade themselves that they 
have kept the Sabbath holy, while their primary 
purpose was to accommodate its sacred hours to the 
attainment of a secular object. All these modes of 


THE SABBATH. 


149 


unsanctifying God’s Sabbath, and that by professors 
of religion, are stealing away his rights, robbing 
him of his own peculiar time, undermining the foun¬ 
dations of his government, causing his law to pass 
away, searing the conscience, hardening the heart, 
throwing off obligations, and adopting the moral 
precepts of God as the standard of duty only so far 
as to us seemeth expedient. 

A third species of travelling which is not resting 
according to the commandment, is that which is 
done in stages , canal and steam-boats , whether on 
business, or for pleasure. The two former are 
absolutely forbidden in the commandment, where it 
is said that cattle, including all laboring animals, 
shall not be obliged to do any work. In using them, 
therefore, on the Sabbath, except to go where a 
work of mercy to ourselves or others calls us, is 
depriving them of rights which God has given them, 
and directly infringing on his law. 

Those proprietors of stages who are every Sab¬ 
bath driving their horses, sinning themselves and 
helping others to sin, are consequently treasuring up 
unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath, 
and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. 
It will be no excuse at the bar of God, that they 
have been doing it in accommodation to a sinful 
government, or to the wishes of others, who will find 
their own pleasure. We are never at liberty to be 
partakers in sin, by affording it any encouragement. 
Government, also, is directly violating the moral 
N 2 


150 


DUTIES or 


of God, by authorizing the carrying of the mail. 
This is manifestly secular business, and cannot be 
pleaded as a case of merciful necessity, nor even 
proved to be ultimately expedient. 

And those who travel in their stages on the day 
of holy rest, under any pretences other than such 
as the Lord of the Sabbath has specified as valid, 
are doing their own ways, and pursuing courses of 
business or pleasure interdicted by the authority of 
God. The very fact of permitting themselves to be 
drawn by horses, although not their property, is a 
violation of the letter of the law. These animals 
are in their employ, as much as if they had ex¬ 
pressly hired them for their own use; and for the 
time being must be viewed as their animals, in the 
comprehensive meaning of the statute, and put to 
labor at their request, or to serve their purposes. 

But let us examine some of the more plausible 
reasons adduced in justification of such travelling. 
Generally they who are disposed to excuse them¬ 
selves for travelling when on the way, would not 
hesitate in pronouncing it wrong to “ set out ” on 
the Sabbath. Yet I have heard those who professed 
a regard for God and his law, justify themselves 
even in this, by saying, that “ they had long been 
looking for company, and could find none until the 
Sabbath, and they thought it best to embrace the 
opportunity.” 

It is manifest in this case, that there is no provi¬ 
dential call of mercy, or the individuals could not 


THE SABBATH. 


151 


have waited. It is a case, therefore, of travelling 
on business, or on a visit of pleasure, either to or 
from home. 

But where will those persons discover their au¬ 
thority for doing their own ways, or finding their 
own pleasure on God’s holy day, because they hap¬ 
pen to meet with company just at that time ? No¬ 
where. On the contrary, neither their company, 
nor themselves, are at liberty thus to violate a law 
of God. And if they be professors, they aggravate 
their sin by exhibiting before the passengers an ex¬ 
ample which is not letting their light shine, but put¬ 
ting it under a bushel. In such cases, also, it will 
generally be found that there was not that diligent 
search for company until about the time of the Sab¬ 
bath, which would have evinced a regard for God’s 
law, nor that tenderness of conscience, that “ pain 
to feel sin near,” which would have induced them 
to sacrifice the present opportunity of doing their 
pleasure, and depend on God for another, rather 
than violate his holy and good commandment, and 
waste one of his own days in worse than idleness. 

The more formidable excuses, however, are those 
which are advanced in justification of continued 
travelling when on a journey. 

“ One man is removing with his family to some 
distance, and is under the necessity of proceeding 
as economically as possible. To stop every Sab¬ 
bath would be more than he could well afford.” If 
he can afford to journey at all, he can afford to do 


£52 


DUTIES OF 


it without violating the statutes of Heaven. And I 
have yet to learn that it is the more economical 
course to offend God. Blessed is the man that fear- 
eth ahcay , and that greatly delighteth in the com¬ 
mandments of the Lord. Besides, persons in these 
circumstances, can so arrange about setting off, if 
thus disposed, as to make it convenient to be on 
Saturday evening, at a suitable place for spending 
the Sabbath. And it is a question whether they 
would not gain time in the end, by allowing them¬ 
selves and their beasts the prescribed rest. 

“Another has been absent from his family for 
some time, and thinks it best to hasten home.” Let 
such ask themselves whether urgent business in the 
city would not have detained them a day or two, 
with all their anxiety to see home. But what com- 
parison is there between the claims of business and 
the claims of God ? What duty or what interest so 
urgent as the duty and interest of obedience to Di¬ 
vine law ? The path of obedience is the path of 
safety, and we may confidently intrust our families 
to the care of God, while we are absent in the per¬ 
formance of duty. 

“ A third believes he can sanctify the Sabbath in 
travelling, by serious meditations, as well as at 
home, or in ‘ lying by.’ ” But he cannot. If the 
whole day were occupied in religious reflections, he 
would not be sanctifying the Sabbath. He would 
sanctify his heart, or his thoughts, but not the day . 
Its sanctification does not consist wholly in cultiva- 


THE SABBATH. 


153 


ting heavenly feelings, and cherishing spiritual 
thoughts. These we may have on other days, and 
on some particular day may devote the whole of our 
time to pious reflections, and yet this would not con¬ 
stitute that day the Sabbath. We must not employ 
our beasts, must abstain from the occupation of the 
rest of the week, and distinguish the day from all 
others by its own peculiarities, or we do not sanc¬ 
tify it, however pious our meditations in travelling. 
But it will generally be found that there is little of 
meditation by those who profane God’s day. And 
if an occupancy in serious thoughts on the Sabbath 
while travelling, is sufficient to wipe away all the 
sin, then the seamstress may sit at her working 
table, and the farmer may follow his plough, and 
yet not violate the holy rest. . 

“ A fourth thinks it better, since he is on his way, 
to pass on quietly, and not attract notice by leaving 
his fellow passengers.” But what reason has he 
for thinking it better ? It cannot be better for him¬ 
self; for in a stage he can have few pious thoughts, 
and if he have any tenderness of conscience, his 
soul will be harrowed up within him. It cannot be 
better for his companions. They might have been 
summoned to consideration by the singular fact of 
his interrupting his journey out of regard for God; 
but now they are encouraged in sin by his example, 
and would place little value on anything of a reli¬ 
gious nature which he might be disposed to say. 
There is at the bottom of this, however, a light 


154 


DUTIES OF 


estimation of God’s law, and a sinful shame of 
being thought a strict Christian, or enduring ridicule 
because of it. 

“ A fifth is on Saturday night within a half day’s 
journey of home, and therefore concludes he wil. 
be justified in proceeding and being with his family 
and friends the remainder of the Sabbath.” 

On this excuse I remark, that the individual 
making it, might so have arranged the time of his 
departure on his homeward journey, as to arrive 
there on Saturday; or by delaying a day, he might 
have rid himself of the conscience-hushing apology, 
by throwing a day and an half between him and 
home, which would have removed all the point of 
the temptation. 

And there are other reasons which neutralize this 
excuse. His return will interfere with the quiet de¬ 
votions of his family, and prevent their enjoyment 
of the day as a Sabbath, by presenting unsuitable 
subjects of conversation. Another, also, would have 
as much right to determine that three fourths of the 
day might be thus spent, as he to fix it at one half. 
Neither of them having a right to dispose of an hour 
of it otherwise than as God has ordained. 

“ A sixth, and the only other I shall notice, con¬ 
siders himself indisputably entitled to proceed, if he 
happen, on Saturday night, to stop in a place where 
the/e is no public worship, and at a house in which 
there is much noise and confusion.” 

Persons travelling generally know where they are 


THE SABBATH. 


155 


going, and are somewhat acquainted with towns and 
taverns on the road. If they were desirous, there¬ 
fore, of avoiding a breach of the Sabbath, they could 
make it extremely convenient to be at certain places 
on the Lord’s day, where the privileges of the 
sanctuary would be afforded them. But the suppo¬ 
sition is, that there is no public worship in the place. 
What then? Why, if there be any near, go to it: 
if not, you are in the situation of the sick man, who 
is providentially placed in circumstances which 
prevent an attendance at the house of God. Neither 
he nor you is required to attend as you are situated. 
Yet is neither of you exempt from the other duties 
of the day, ( resting from business, and engaging in 
private devotional exercises. 

But the house is so noisy, you think you will be 
better employed in travelling than tarrying. You 
cannot be. In the one case you are regarding God 
and his law; in the other, violating it. And which 
is likely to be the more profitable, under the ad¬ 
ministration and over-ruling providence of Him who 
has the hearts of all in his own hands ? 

If you make the experiment, you may find more 
quiet and enjoyment in a private chamber or in the 
solitary woods, than you could have anticipated. 
God will bless and favor those who conscientiously 
serve him. 

Moreover, these are the very circumstances re 
quiring you to let your light shine, and act decidedly 
for your Master. Your lot is providentially case 


156 


DUTIES OF 


here for the dav, that your holy example may 
enlighten and warn the sinners. If you are a pious 
man, you might even induce them to assemble for 
prayer, and read to them some solemn tract, which 
you happen to have along with you, and by this 
means lead an immortal soul to heaven, and praise 
God to all eternity that you had resolution enougli 
to obey his law, and keep his Sabbath. 

Thus all the excuses of men will fall before a 
conscientious and fair interpretation of scriptural 
law. And let not the non-professor imagine himself 
free from obligation, simply because he does not 
acknowledge it, or profess to obey the law. On the 
same principle he might exempt himself from the 
first, third, sixth, and all the commandments of the 
moral law. 

After this minute examination of*the excuses 
which are offered in justification of one of the com¬ 
mon breaches of the Sabbath, it will only be neces¬ 
sary briefly to advert to some other courses of 
conduct, which plead exemption from the law, but 
equally fall under its prohibitory clause. 

The transportation of merchandise in wagons and 
canal-boats is certainly impliedly forbidden in the 
words of the law itself, for both require the labor o' 
animals, and clearly , in divinely authorized inter¬ 
pretations of it, written in Neh. 13:15.17,18. “ In 
those days I saw in Judah some treading wine 
presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and 
lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all 


TIIE SABBATH. 


157 


manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusa¬ 
lem on the Sabbath day:... Then I contended with 
the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil 
thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath- 
day ? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God 
bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet 
ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the 
Sabbath.” And Jeremiah 17:20—22. “ Hear ye 
the word of the Lord, ye kings of Judah, and all 
Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that 
enter in by these gates. Thus saith the Lord, Take 
heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sab¬ 
bath-day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem ; 
neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on 
the Sabbath-day, neither do ye any work, but hallow 
ye the Sabbath-day, as I commanded your fathers.” 

And here let me remark, that merchants ought to 
inquire whether they do not partake in the sin of 
wagoners, by employing such as drive on Sabbath; 
whether it would not be their duty to procure such 
as do not, or even add a small compensation for the 
delay of one or two days. I believe, however, that 
the rest of the Sabbath would so much invigorate 
the team, as to enable them to draw three miles 
farther a-day, and thus at the end of the week be as 
far advanced as if they had proceeded uninterrupt¬ 
edly. At least I have known those who proceeded 
on this plan, and professed that they lost nothing 
by it.* 


I am happy to learn that the company about to open a line of 

o 



15S 


DUTIES OF 


Attending on sugar-camps is also a direct in 
fringement on holy time, although some pretend to 
justify it, especially if the first “ fine day” should 
come on Sabbath. They seem to think it will be 
sinful to let it waste, as God has bountifully provi¬ 
ded it. But God has not bestowed blessings in such 
a manner as to interfere with the sanctity of his 
own day. If provision cannot be made on Satur¬ 
day for receiving the juice which may flow out on 
the Sabbath, then let it be lost. Our heavenly 
Father never intended that his goodness should be 
made an occasion of interfering with the welfare of 
our souls. 

Gathering in a harvest on the Lord’s day, in all 
ordinary cases, is pretty generally considered sinful, 
yet there are many who justify it in certain extraor¬ 
dinary circumstances. For my own part I know of 
no instance in which, with my Bible in my hand, I 
can look upon it as permitted by the law of the 
Sabbath. God has said, Exod. 34:21, “ In earing 
time and in harvest thou shalt rest” and who could 
rightfully infer, if a pleasant day came on Sabbath 
after a protracted rain in which grain or hay had 
been exposed, that this was a permissive grant from 
heaven to spend the day in securing it in the barn 
or stack ? The following day may be wet again, and 
the harvest lost; and if so, it is to be contemplated 

wagons for speedy conveyance of merchandise between Baltimore 
and Wheeling, have resolved not to employ their teams on the 
Sabbath. May God prosper them! Professors now have no excuse. 



THE SABBATH. 


159 


as an afflictive dispensation of Providence calling 
for penitence of soul. But it may be clear and fine 
also, and then the grain and hay will both be im¬ 
proved by remaining out. This also would be the 
more probable result to conscientious observers of 
God’s law. If, however, the contrary occur, they 
have the consolation of knowing that their loss can 
be more than compensated. 

I have also always doubted whether iron-masters 
can justify themselves in keeping their furnaces in 
blast on the Sabbath. There can be no doubt of 
the impropriety of setting it on blast on that day; 
for we are forbidden the “ kindling of firesall 
such as are not required for the supply of necessary 
warmth and food. 

And on what principle is it contended that they 
must be kept in blast on the Sabbath ? Merely be¬ 
cause it would be inconvenient to suspend operations, 
and would occasion some loss of money, or rather 
a less rapid accumulation of it. In short, they 
would not quite so soon, nor realize quite so large a 
profit. But what merchant might not, on the same 
manciple, open his shop? What farmer might not 
proceed to gather in all his crop without any cessa¬ 
tion on the Sabbath? What wagoner might not 
justify himself in harnessing and driving ? And what 
government might not defend itself in transporting 
its mails ? And I have thought if furnaces must be 
in operation on this day, the seventh part of the 


DUTIES OF 


160 

profit of each weekly blast, should be sacred to the 
Lord, as acquired on his day. 

But some may now be ready to ask, has not the 
Saviour modified the strictness of the law, and low¬ 
ered down the standard of duty in reference to the 
Sabbath ? From his own declaration we should con¬ 
clude not. I came, he says, not to destroy or sub¬ 
vert the law, the moral law, as is apparent from his 
specifications, but to ratify or confirm it. 

Let us examine his practice. His custom was to 
go to the synagogue to worship; and in the numer¬ 
ous opportunities afforded him, we never find him 
announcing either a repeal or modification of the 
original law. He did indeed strip it of Pharisaical 
glosses, and assert his capability, as Lord of the 
Sabbath, of defining its intentions, and understand¬ 
ing its provisions. He felt himself at liberty, under 
those provisions, to perform works of mercy. He 
healed the woman afflicted for eighteen years, the 
man whose hand was withered, and justified men in 
leading out to water their cattle, in delivering an 
animal from distress, and his disciples in rubbing a 
little grain between their hands to satisfy hunger, 
as they were passing through the field to the syna¬ 
gogue. 

The Pharisees, on the occasion of his healing, 
appealed to the prohibition of the law, as rendering 
it unlawful. He did not diminish its extent in the 
least by justifying works of every kind, but inter- 


THE SABBATH. 


161 


p ‘?led the law as excepting labors of mercy or com - 
passion . 

It is thought, however, that the conduct of the 
disciples in plucking the ears of corn, approved by 
their Master, in connexion with his declaration that 
-he Sabbath was made for man, is a sufficient indi¬ 
cation that its requisitions are relaxed. But if so, 
it is certainly not very manifest. On what ground 
were the disciples justified ? Was it not because they 
were then hungry, and their bodies needed suste¬ 
nance ? Look at the context. There is an appeal 
to the case of David supplying his wants with the 
shew-bread of the temple, and also to the law of 
God’s kingdom, that he prefers mercy to sacrifice . 
But what bearing has this on the subject, if the Sa¬ 
viour were not justifying them as performing an act 
of mercy called for by their straitened circumstan¬ 
ces, and intended to relieve present necessities ? And 
what extensive privileges are contained in the asser¬ 
tion that the Sabbath was made for man ? Does it 
imply that it was given him as a day on which he 
would be permitted to act out the depravity of his 
heart, and be set free from all law ? Does it mean 
that he was at liberty on that day to pursue his 
calling ? Then there is no peculiarity about it, and 
it is no more made specially for man than any 
other day. 

But mark the expression. The Sabbath was 
made for man. It was instituted for him as a Sab¬ 
bath. But a Sabbath is a day of rest from secular 
02 


162 


DUTIES OF 


employment. The rest of the Sabbath is still there * 
fore obligatory on man, made for his benefit, and 
allowing of any work which present hunger or af¬ 
fliction demands. 

On the Sabbath, then, we may heal the sick, ad¬ 
minister to their wants, relieve the distressed, regard 
the comfort of our animals, and perform any act of 
compassion which our own or our neighbor’s present 
circumstances may require. Beyond this we may 
not go on the authority of Christ, or the language 
of the original law. 

But none of the cases of violation specified fall 
under this rule, and are therefore condemned by the 
morality of the Bible. 

II. The second branch of the subject is comprised 
in devotion to religious services . 

These embrace all the public and private duties 
of religion. 

The Lord loves the gates of Zion. He delights 
,to have all the people praise him, and lift up their 
hands in the sanctuary to bless the Lord. And it 
is comely to appear before his presence with thanks¬ 
giving, and make a joyful noise unto him with 
psalms—to worship and bow down; to kneel before 
the Lord our Maker. For he is our God; and we 
are the people of his pasture. Thus did his people 
of old open the gates of righteousness, bring an 
offering, and come into the courts of the Lord’s 
house. Thus they found it sweet to unite in sing¬ 
ing the high praises of God, in adoration of his 


TIIE SABBATH. 


1G3 


glorious perfections, and contemplations on his word 
and works. The apostles and primitive Christians 
also, esteemed a day in the courts of the Lord better 
than a thousand On the Sabbath they were wont 
to be together, with one accord in one place, for the 
purpose of public worship. 

And it becomes those of the present day, who 
would remember the Sabbath, to imitate their exam¬ 
ple, and assemble in the different churches with the 
design of humbling themselves with thankful ac¬ 
knowledgment of his mercies, supplicating his fa¬ 
vor, hearing his word, and magnifying his great 
name, made known in the works of creation and 
redemption. 

The private duties of religion, also, must on that 
day claim a special attention. On other days we 
are to recognize God in our families, and worship 
him in the closet ,* but much of our time is neces¬ 
sarily occupied in the secular business of life. On 
the Sabbath this is to yield to a more entire devotion 
to God in the duties of meditation, reading of the 
Bible and pious works, spiritual conversation, deep 
searching of heart, and prayer. In all these servi¬ 
ces the heart must be engaged: for God abhors the 
sacrifice 

“ Where not the heart is found.” 

I have thus attempted briefly to interpret the law 
of the Sabbath, and point out its negative and posi- 


104 


DUTIES OP 


tive duties, and shall in conclusion endeavor to im¬ 
press them on my readers. 

And on this subject I cannot refrain from calling 
upon all ministers of the gospel, a 1 ! Christians, all 
parents, all magistrates and office-bearers, and all 
patriots, to come up to the help of the Lord, to the 
help of the Lord against the mighty. 

Let ministers of the gospel preach and enlighten 
the public mind—let Christians walk in the statutes 
of the Lord blameless, holding back their foot from 
polluting the Sabbath, and counting it holy and 
honorable—let parents, by precept and example, in¬ 
culcate on the minds of children and domestics cor¬ 
rect views of the sanctity of the day—let men in 
office feel the weight of their influence, and exert it 
wholly in favor of its sanctification—and let patriots 
evince their patriotism by upholding the institutions 
of that God who is governor of the nations, and 
under whose administration righteousness only will 
exalt, while sin will be the reproach of any people. 

We have put forth a united effort, have stemmed 
the torrent of intemperance, and almost prevailed to 
roll back its waters of death. But we have another 
flood of dark and desolating waters heaving its bil¬ 
lows over our land; and soon will it have overtopped 
the highest mountains of our political continent, and 
left not a spot for the ark of liberty to rest upon, 
unless some mighty energy be exerted to control its 
power. The desecration of the Sabbath is a sin foi 
Which this land should clothe itself in sackcloth and 


THE SABBATn. 


165 


ashes, in voluntary and deep humility, lest Gcd strip 
her utterly of her beautiful garments, and send her 
Out naked and forlorn, to weep over her folly in 
despising his commandments. 

Let me entreat the young, then, and especially 
the youth of our colleges, to cultivate proper senti¬ 
ments of respect for the day of God. Let them 
become advocates of its sanctity, friends of its sa¬ 
cred observance, and resolute champions of its claims 
to regard as an institution of Jehovah. Thus will 
they bless themselves, and their country, and be 
honored as its true benefactors, and brightest orna¬ 
ments. And when the laurels which encircle the 
brow of the military chieftain or political aspirant 
shall have withered away, theirs will still be green 
and beautiful, and their memory dear to the latest 
posterity. 

And may I not ask the students of Washington 
College, wherever they go, and whatever stations 
they fill, to associate with the name of their Alma- 
Mater, the admirable sentiments of the Father of 
their country, already quoted, and to secure nation¬ 
al morality by the pervasion of religious principle, 
ever maintain and encourage a strict regard for 
the Lord’s-day, as the only effectual means of dif¬ 
fusing it. 

And that you may not want motives derived from 
the word of God itself, treasure up in your memory 
some of the promises which God has annexed to an 


166 


DUTIES OP 


observance of his holy Sabbath, and some of the 
denunciations which impend its desecration. 

Of the latter, I select for you, Neh. 13:17,18: 
4 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and 
said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, 
and profane the Sabbath-day ? Did not your fathers 
thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon 
us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath 
upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”—Jer. 17:27: 
“ But if you will not hearken unto me to hallow the 
Sabbath-day, and not to bear a burden, even enter¬ 
ing in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath-day; 
then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it 
shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall 
not be quenched.”—Lev. 26:34,35: “ Then shall 
the land enjoy her Sabbath, as long as it lieth deso¬ 
late, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then 
shall the land rest, and enjoy her Sabbaths. As 
long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did 
not rest in your Sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.” 
Of the former, Isa. 56:4—7 : “ For thus saith the 
Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths, and 
choose the things that please me, and take hold of 
my covenant. Even unto them will I give in my 
house, and within my walls, a place and a name 
better than of sons and of daughters: I will give 
them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. 
Also the sons of the stranger that join themselves 
to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of 
the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth 


THE SABBATH. 


167 


the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of 
my covenant. Even them will I bring to my holy 
mountain, and make them joyful in my house of 
prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices 
shall be accepted upon mine altar: for my house 
shall be called a house of prayer for all people.”— 
Isa. 58:13,14: “If thou turn away thy foot from 
the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy 
day; and call the Sabbath a Delight, the Holy of 
the Lord, Honorable; and shalt honor him, not do¬ 
ing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, 
nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou 
delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee 
to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed 
thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father : for the 
mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”—Jer. 17:24,25: 
“ And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken 
unto me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden 
through the gates of this city on the Sabbath-day, 
but hallow the Sabbath-day, to do no work therein; 
Then shall there enter into the gates of this city 
kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, 
riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their 
princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of 
Jerusalem ; and this city shall remain for ever.” 

May God add his blessing ! Amen. 




APPENDIX. 


Extracts from a Report of a Committee of the 
British House of Commons on the observance of 
the Sabbath. Sir Andrew Agnew, Bart., in 
the Chair. 

Your Committee have approached the subject com¬ 
mitted to their investigation, impressed with a deep 
sense, not only of its importance, but also of the 
difficulties which are generally supposed to attend it. 
The weight of the evidence presented to them has, 
nevertheless, led them to concur in recommending 
an amendment of the law as both indispensable and 
practicable. The letter, no less than the spirit of 
English Legislation, since the Reformation, in rela¬ 
tion to the observance of the Lord’s-day, has uni¬ 
formly been directed against all desecrations of it 
by the exercise of any worldly labor, business, or 
“ ordinary calling,” on that day, as will be seen by 
referring to the abstract of the laws contained in 
the Appendix: but whilst the tenor of the laws has 
been favorable to the maintenance of this most im¬ 
portant institution of the Christian religion, the more 
or less decorous observance of which may be con¬ 
sidered , at any given time , to afford the safest test 
of the greater or less degree of moral and religious 
feeling pervading the community , it is much to be 
deplored that, owing in a great measure to the diffi¬ 
culties attending a due enforcement of its provisions, 
the absence of adequate penalties, and the defective 
mode prescribed for recovering them, but owing still 
more to the lax spirit of the age , in reference to re¬ 
ligious obligation , the law itself is found to beprac 
P 


170 


APPENDIX. 


tically insufficient to secure the objects for which 
it professes to provide. 

Your Committee, however, whilst thus recom¬ 
mending an emendation of the law, as necessary to 
put down gross desecration of the Lord’s-day, and 
to enable all classes to avail themselves of its privi¬ 
leges, avow that, in anticipating an improved ob¬ 
servance of it as the result of more efficient laws, 
they rely chief y on the moral support which these 
would receive, as well from the higher authorities 
of the Church, its Clergy, and Ministers of all de¬ 
nominations, as from the example of the upper class¬ 
es , the magistracy , and all respectable heads of 
families ; and it may be added, from the increasing 
conviction of all classes, derived from experience, 
of the value of the Day of Rest to themselves. 

In recommending a general revision and amend¬ 
ment of the laws for the observance of the Sabbath, 
it should be observed, that Sunday labor is general¬ 
ly looked upon as a degradation; and it appears in 
evidence , that in each trade , in proportion to its dis¬ 
regard of the Lord’s-day , is the immorality of those 
engaged in it. 

The objects to be attained by the legislation may 
be considered to be, first, a solemn and decent out¬ 
ward observance of the Lord’s-day, as that portion 
of the week which is set apart by Divine command 
for public worship; and next, the securing to every 
member of the community without an exception 
and however low his station, the uninterrupted en 
joyment of that day of rest which has been in mer¬ 
cy provided for him, and the privilege of employing 
ft, as well in the sacred exercises for which it was 
ordained, as in the bodily relaxation which is neces- 


APPENDIX. 


171 


sary for his well-being, and which, though a second¬ 
ary end, is nevertheless also of high importance. 

THE SABBATH IN SCOTLAND. 

It appears to be sufficiently established, that for a 
long period the laws were very strictly administer¬ 
ed ; and that, in conjunction with the advancement 
of religious knowledge, the strict observance of the 
Sabbath proved the means of forming and cherish¬ 
ing those devout habits to which have been traced 
the characteristic prudence, industry, and general 
correctness of morals long prevalent among that 
people . 

One of the most important circumstances which 
till lately distinguished the Sabbath in Scotland was, 
that the entire day was generally regarded as 
equally sacred. The distinction between “church 
hours” and the other hours of the day, seems not to 
have been made, except perhaps in country towns 
and villages, where, during the interval of public 
worship, or after the close of the service, refresh¬ 
ments might be obtained by persons coming from a 
distance to the church. The old laws of Scotland, 
therefore, apply to the whole of the Sabbath, though 
it was held to be an aggravation of any offence, that 
it was committed during the hours of public worship. 

Your Committee report with pleasure the assur¬ 
ance given in evidence, that the decorous observance 
of StSnday has been, and is increasing among the 
higher classes; nevertheless, they would consider 
the Report imper/ect, did they not express their 
anxious solicitude that those who are elevated in 
society should seriously consider how important it 
is that the Lord’s-day should be duly reverenced on 



172 


APPENDIX. 


their part, and that they should all evince, by a 
consistent example, that they are disposed to “ re¬ 
member the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” from 
respect not only to human enactments, but to the 
authority of Him by whom the day has been set 
apart for the wisest and most beneficial purposes. 
Such conduct must eminently conduce, as it has ever 
done, not only to their own highest interests, as 
affording them a day of rest and retirement, but to 
the welfare of their families and dependants; thus 
transmitting their good example through all the 
various grades of society, and thereby strengthening 
the hands of the magistracy in their efforts to uphold 
the laws. 

It will be seen strongly stated in evidence, that 
innumerable unhappy individuals, who have forfeited 
their lives to the offended laws of their country, 
have confessed that their career in vice commenced 
with Sabbath breaking, and neglect of religious 
ordinances. 

Your Committee feel assured that an increase of 
true religion must also follow an amendment of the 
laws, inasmuch as many persons thus favored with 
an entire day of rest, would be led to employ it for 
religious purposes; and that a great accession would 
accrue to the strength and prosperity of the State 
itself, arising out of the improved tone of morals 
which a due observance of the Sabbath day invaria¬ 
bly produces. And there are, moreover, abundant 
grounds both in the Word of God and in the history 
of past ages, to expect that his blessing and favoi 
would accompany such an endeavor to promote the 
honor due to His holy Name and commandment. 


APPENDIX. 173 

Extracts from the Testimony of Dr. Faree, a Physician of great 
eminence, and of forty years' study and practice. 

I have been in the habit during a great many 
years of considering the uses of the Sabbath, and 
of observing its abuses. The abuses are chiefly 
manifested in labor and dissipation. The use, medi¬ 
cally speaking, is that of a day of rest. In a 
theological sense, it is a holy rest, providing for the 
introduction of new and sublimer ideas into the 
mind of man, preparing him for his future state. 
As a day of rest, I view it as a day of compensation 
for the inadequate restorative power of the body' 
under continued labor and excitement. A physician 
always has respect to the preservation of the restora¬ 
tive power, because if once this be lost, his healing 
office is at an end. If I show you, from the phy¬ 
siological view of the question, that there are provi¬ 
sions in the laws of nature which correspond with 
the Divine commandment, you will see from the 
analogy, that “ the Sabbath was made for man,” as 
a necessary appointment. A physician is anxious 
to preserve the balance of circulation, as necessary 
to the restorative power of the body. The ordinary 
exertions of man run down the circulation every 
day of his life; and the first general law of nature 
by which God (who is not only the giver, but also 
the preserver and sustainer of life) prevents man 
from destroying himself, is the alternating of day 
with night, that repose may succeed action. But 
although the night apparently equalizes the cir¬ 
culation well, yet it does not sufficiently restore its 
balance for the attainment of a long life. Hence 
one day in seven, by the bounty of Providence, is 
thrown in as a day of compensation, to perfect by 
its repose the animal system. You may easily de* 
P 2 


•174 


APPENDIX. 


termine this question as a matter of fact by trying it 
on beasts of burden. Take that fine animal, the 
horse, and work him to the full extent of his powers 
every day in the week, or give him rest one day in 
seven, and you will soon perceive, by the superior 
vigor with which he performs his functions on the 
other six days, that this rest is necessary to his ^11- 
being. Man, possessing a superior nature, is born 
along by the very vigor of his mind, so that the 
injury of continued diurnal exertion and excitement 
on his animal system is not so immediately apparent 
as in the brute; but in the long run he breaks down 
more suddenly: it abridges the length of his life 
and that vigor of his old age, which (as to mere 
animal power) ought to be the object of his preser¬ 
vation. I consider therefore that, in the beautiful 
provision of Providence for the preservation of 
human life, the sabbatical appointment is not, as it 
has been sometimes theologically viewed, simply a 
precept partaking of the nature of a political insti¬ 
tution, but that it is to be numbered amongst the 
natural duties, if the preservation of life be admitted 
to be a duty, and the premature destruction of it a 
suicidal act. This is said simply as a physician, 
and without reference at all to the theological ques¬ 
tion ; but if you consider further the effect of real 
Christianity, namely, peace of mind, confiding trust 
in God, and good-will to man, you will perceive in 
this source of renewed vigor to the mind, and through 
the mind to the body, an additional spring of life 
imparted from this higher use of the Sabbath as a 
holy rest. Were I to pursue this part of the question 
I should be touching on the duties committed to the 
clergy; but this I will say, that researches in phy 
siology, by the analogy of the working of Provi 


APPENDIX. 


175 


dence in nature, will establish the truth of revelation, 
and consequently show that the Divine command¬ 
ment is not to be considered as an arbitrary 
enactment, but as an appointment necessary to man. 
This is the position in which I would place it, as 
contradistinguished from precept and legislation; I 
would point out the sabbatical rest as necessary to 
man, and that the great enemies of the Sabbath, and 
consequently the enemies of man, are all laborious 
exercises of the body or mind, and dissipation, which 
force the circulation on that day in which it should 
repose; which relaxation from the ordinary cares 
of life, the enjoyment of this repose in the bosom of 
one’s family, with the religious studies and duties 
which the day enjoins, not one of which, if rightly 
exercised, tends to abridge life, constitute the bene¬ 
ficial and appropriate services of the day. The 
student of nature, in becoming the student of Christ, 
will find in the principles of his doctrine and law, 
and in the practical application of them, the only 
and perfect science which prolongs the present, and 
perfects the future life. 

In your own practice have you thought it neces 
sary to carry on the whole of your occupation on a 
Sunday as on the other six days of the week ?— 
Certainly not. 

Do you think your patients have suffered thereby ? 
—Certainly not. 

Of course in extreme cases you do ?—I consider 
that the two officers of healing, so to speak, are the 
clergyman and the medical man; they are the only 
two classes of persons called on to labor on that day 
for the benefit of the community. I have found it 
essential to my own well-being to abridge my labor 
on the Sabbath to what is actually necessary. I 


176 


APPENDIX. 


have frequently observed the premature death of 
medical men from continued exertion. In warm 
climates and in active service, this is painfully 
apparent. 

As a seventh day is absolutely necessary for the 
rest of man, what do you say to the habits of cler¬ 
gymen, who must of necessity labor on the seventh 
day?—I have advised the clergyman, in lieu of his 
Sabbath, to rest one day in the week; it forms a 
continual prescription of mine. I have seen many 
destroyed by their duties on that day, and, to pre¬ 
serve others, I have frequently suspended them for 
a season from the discharge of those duties. 

So that the clergyman furnishes an illustration of 
your own principle as to the ill effects of working on 
the seventh day continually ?—Yes, certainly : I 
would say further, that quitting the grosser evils of 
mere animal living from over-stimulation and undue 
exercise of body, the working of the mind in one 
continued train of thought is destructive of life in 
he most distinguished class of society, and that 
senators themselves stand in need of reform in that 
particular. I have observed many of them destroyed 
by neglecting this economy of life. 

Therefore, to all men of whatever class, who 
must necessarily be occupied six days in the week, 
you recommend them to abstain on the seventh, and 
in the course of life they would gain by it?—As¬ 
suredly they would, by giving to their bodies the 
repose, and to their minds the change of ideas suited 
to the day, for which it was appointed by unerring 
wisdom. 

And in fact more mental work would be accom¬ 
plished in their lives ?—Certainly, by the increased 
V'gor imparted. 


APPENDIX. 


177 


A human being is so constituted that he needs a 
day of rest boLi from mental and bodily labor ?— 
Certainly. You have drawn the inference from the 
tenor of my evidence and argument, which I wish 
to leave on the mind of the Legislative body. 


Extracts from the Testimony of the Rev. John Lee, D. I). 

It may not perhaps be improper to state, that 
during the earliest times of the Church of Scotland, 
after the Reformation, the Sabbath was not observed 
with the same strictness that it was at a period 
somewhat later. It is very commonly believed, that 
at the Reformation in Scotland, the leading indi¬ 
viduals proceeded in general to an extreme as oppo¬ 
site as possible to the practices of the Church which 
had previously existed, and became righteous over¬ 
much. I find this was by no means the case; in 
reality, the change was so gradual, and in some 
respects so imperfect, that at so late a period as the 
year 1574, about three years after the death of 
Knox, the practice of performing comedies on the 
Sabbath had not been altogether discontinued, and 
it was occasionally allowed to proceed, under the 
countenance and approbation of some of those 
Church Courts that might have been expected to be 
the most rigid in refusing to allow any encroachment 
on the sanctity of the Lord’s day. (Here Dr. Lee 
referred to one instance from a record of the kirk 
session of St. Andrews.) 

Have you reason to believe that those comedies 
acted upon the Lord’s day were accompanied with 
the usual profligacy and desecration of sacred things 
which is generally characteristic of them 1 —I have 
no reason to think so with regard to this comedy; 
on the contrary, I believe it was intended to be a 


176 


APPENDIX. 


very sober kind of pastime, approaching somewha 
to a religious observance; probably it was expected 
to be edifying to the people. 

Are you in possession of any evidence that would 
guide the Committee to a history of the transition 
from the old to the new practice in Scotland, in 
reference to the Sabbath ?—I beg leave to produce 
to the Committee extracts from the books of several 
kirk-sessions, for the purpose of showing in what 
manner the laws against Sabbath-breaking were 
administered by those Church Courts; it is needless 
to enter into any farther detail. (The witness de¬ 
livered in the same, which were' read. They show 
that the regulations for the observance of the Sab¬ 
bath were very strict, and very strictly observed.) 

Will you go on to state what effect those regula¬ 
tions produced when they were thus strictly and 
faithfully acted upon 1 —I have reason to believe that 
the effect produced was highly salutary; but without 
entering into detail, I shall feel obliged to the Com¬ 
mittee to be allowed to produce an extract from 
Kirkton’s History, which is understood to be a very 
authentic memorial of the time, as showing what 
was the state of public morals when those rules were 
most strictly observed.) 

The following is the extract: 

“ Now, before we speak of the alteration court 
influences made upon the church of Scotland, let us 
consider in what case it was at this time. There be 
in all Scotland some 900 paroches, divided into 68 
presbytries, which are again cantoped into 14 
synods, out of which, by a solemn legation of com¬ 
missioners from every presby trie, they used yearly 
to constitute a national assembly. At the King’s 
return (in 1660) every paroche hade a minister 


APPENDIX. 


179 


every village hade a schoole, every family almost 
hade a Bible, yea, in most of the countrey, all the 
children of age could read the Scriptures and were 
provided of Bibles, either by the parents or the 
ministers. I have lived many years in a paroche 
where I never heard ane oath, and you might have 
ridde many miles before you hade heard any; also, 
you could not for a great part of the countrey have 
lodged in a family where the Lord was not worship¬ 
ped by reading, singing,and publick prayer. Nobody 
complained more of our church government than 
our taverners, whose ordinary lamentation was, their 
trade was broke, people were become so sober.” 

To this description, which I have ground for 
believing is chiefly applicable to the south and west 
of Scotland, with which the writer was best acquaint¬ 
ed, I may take occasion to add, that I have great 
reason to think that the Sabbath was observed with 
the greatest strictness and solemnity in Scotland 
soon after the period of the Revolution of 1688, till 
about the year 1730. 

Have you reason to think that was the period at 
which the Sahbath was best observed?—Yes. 

To what cause would you ascribe that marked 
and visible change ?—To the very great vigilance, 
faithfulness, and zeal with which both ministers and 
elders performed their duty towards those who were 
placed under their charge, and more perhaps than to 
any other cause, to the universal practice of Bible 
education. 

At that period the system of parochial education 
had become general, had it not?—It was legalized 
about the year 1693; but though in the Lowlands 
it had been almost universally prevalent before the 
middle of the 17th century, I cannot venture to say 


180 


APPENDIX. 


that it became general, in those parts of the country 
that required it most, till after the middle of the 18th 
century. In the 1758, there were 175 parishes in 
the Highlands in which parochial schools had never 
been erected. 

Then do you collect, from your acquaintance with 
the history of that period, that there was a marked 
difference between those parts of the country which 
had come under the operation of scriptural educa¬ 
tion, and those parts of the country to which it haa 
not been extended, in reference to the observance oi 
the Sabbath ?—There is the strongest evidence that 
there was a marked distinction between the two; 
for the government of Charles II. could find no such 
fit instruments of the severities exercised on the 
Presbyterians in the west, as the Highlanders, whose 
principles and manners appeared to be altogether 
different. With such horror were these atrocities 
long remembered in Ayrshire, that for more than 
fifty years after the revolution in 1688, it is said that 
a Jacobite or a Roman Catholic was not there to be 
found; and it is ascertained, that in that large county 
not so much as one man could be induced to follow 
the misfortunes of the house of Stuart, in the year 
1745. It is also recorded, in reports almost annually 
transmitted to the General Assembly, that in several 
parts of the Highlands the population was long in 
a state of almost entire heathenism. 

Up to what period T—I may almost say till after 
the year 1745; but certainly till after the accession 
of George I. 

Has there been any favorable change in the 
general religious condition of the Highlands of Scot¬ 
land since the year 1730, more especially with 
relation to the observance of the Lord’s day ?—I 


APPENDIX. 


181 


have reason to think that there has been a favorable 
change, which indeed had commenced some years 
before that period. 

To what do you ascribe this favorable change ?— 
I ascribe it partly to the exertions of the Society 
Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge 
which was founded about the year 1709, and which 
by establishing schools for teaching to read, espe¬ 
cially the Holy Scriptures, in the more necessitous 
districts of the Highlands, has proved the means of 
greatly increasing the religious knowledge of the 
people, and consequently of increasing the rever¬ 
ence for the Lord’s-day, and for other Divine insti¬ 
tutions. 

Are you disposed to identify the general improve¬ 
ment of the country, religiously and morally speak¬ 
ing, with the general diffusion of scriptural education ? 
—Most certainly; I think there is the strongest 
evidence upon that subject, evidence that cannot 
possibly be controverted; it is found in a document 
still extant and in print, namely, the dedication of 
the first Scottish edition of the Bible to James the 
Sixth, which edition was printed in the year 1579, 
exactly twenty years after the Reformation, in which 
it is expressly stated, that so great had been the 
progress of religious instruction, particularly in that 
form, in a country where less than forty years 
before, the Bible was not suffered to be read, that 
almost every house possessed a copy of the Bible, 
and had the Bible read in it. It is ascertained also, 
that in the time of the Covenanters, which I believe 
to have been a period of great religious light, and 
of great strictness and purity of morals, there was 
scarcely an individual in the Lowlands of Scotland 
who could not read, and who was not in th6 habit of 

Q 


182 


APPENDIX. 


reading the Bible, and scarcely a family in which 
the worship of God was not regularly performed, 
both by celebrating the praises of God, reading the 
Scriptures, and prayer. Such a description could 
not possibly apply to the Highlands ; at that period 
there was no such thing as a translation of the Bible 
into the native language of the Highlands. A con¬ 
siderable supply of Gaelic or Irish Bibles was furnish¬ 
ed to them in the year 1690, at the expense of the 
Hon. Robert Boyle; soon afterwards the Book o 
Psalms, the Catechism, and the Confession of Faith, 
were published in Gaelic; but there was no edition 
even of the New Testament fit for being used in 
schools, or indeed for any purpose, till 1767, and 
from that period a great improvement may be dated. 
After the Revolution, 1 find from the accounts of the 
schools in towns and Lowland parishes, some of 
which I have in my possession, that in the periodical 
examinations which took place, there are regular 
returns of the numbers of the children who were 
reading different books, some of them the New 
Testament, but the greater part reading the entire 
Bible, and that was the period certainly when the 
Sabbath was most strictly observed, and when, 
according to all the accounts that can be best relied 
upon, the morals of the people were likewise the 
most healthy. 

Then according to the opinion which you have 
expressed, it would seem that you ascribe the ground¬ 
ing of the principles of the Reformation in the mind 
of the Scottish population to the general diffusion of 
the Scriptures, and the extension of Scriptural 
schools ?—Certainly, to that cause, in combination 
with the faithful preaching of the Word. 

Do you conceive that the disposition to sanctify 


APPENDIX. 


183 


the Sabbath bears a proportion to the religious 
instruction of a people ?—Surely ; indeed, I never 
can conceive the Sabbath to be conscientiously 
observed, observed from principle, unless the prac¬ 
tice is founded in the knowledge of the doctrines of 
religion, and the recognition of the Divine authority 
of the Old and New Testament. 

Can you say from your knowledge of history, 
whether the description given by a celebrated 
novelist* of the period of the Covenanters is 
historically correct, and whether their precise man¬ 
ners were as strongly marked in contrast to the 
other party as that ingenious writer would have us 
to suppose 1 —Most certainly that description is not 
historically correct; there never was such gloom 
attending the observance of the Sabbath in Scotland 
as that celebrated writer alleges. The Sabbath, 
though observed with the greatest reverence, was a 
day rather of sober and cheerful piety than of any 
painful restraint. It may be, as the question has 
been asked, not improper to state, that the greater 
part of the description applying to the religion and 
morals of that class of persons in Scotland who are 
known by the name of Covenanters, must have been 
supplied almost altogether by the imagination of the 
writer. He seems equally to have forgotten the 
state of things before the Restoration of Charles II., 
and the state of things which supervened upon that 
event, which was certainly hailed as joyfully by the 
Presbyterians cf Scotland as by any other class of 
His Majesty’s subjects, although they had great 
cause afterwards to complain of the harsh treatment 
which they experienced, in violation of the solemn 


* Sir Walter Scott. 



184 


APPENDIX. 


promises which that monarch had repeatedly made 
to them. But on that subject, as I believe the 
authority of the celebrated writer referred to is often 
thought almost the best that can be quoted, I think 
it rifpit to state that he seems to have been utterly 
unacquainted both with the observances of the Pres¬ 
byterian Church, and those of the Episcopalian 
church which succeeded it. He imagines, for in¬ 
stance, that the Liturgy was observed after the 
Restoration of Charles II., whereas, in point of fact, 
the only change that took place in the worship in 
the churches consisted in the discontinuance of the 
Directory and the adoption of three Articles, which 
had been thought offensive in the days of Knox, 
namely, the use of the Lord’s Prayer, the repetition 
of the Creed by parents when they brought their 
children to be baptized, and the use of a doxology 
in connexion with the singing of psalms. These 
were the only marked deviations from the worship 
which had been previously observed ; and the whole 
objection of the people of Scotland arose from their 
belief that the hierarchy and His Majesty’s claim of 
supremacy in matters ecclesiastical were not divinely 
warranted, and that the power of the Church, 
patronized by the King, had been exercised formerly, 
and they were afraid would still continue to be 
exercised, in a manner inconsistent with the full 
enjoyment of their religious privileges. I refer to 
these particulars merely as specimens of the inaccu¬ 
racy of the descriptions which have probably made 
an impression not easily effaced, though it has done 
great injustice to the characters of an oppressed and 
persecuted race, who, derided as they have been as 
feeble-minded fanatics, did more than any other 
body of men both to maintain the interests of reli 


APPENDIX. 


185 


gion, and to secure for their posterity the enjoyment 
of civil liberty. 

But, in point of fact, there was neither in the form 
of worship on the Lord’s-day, nor in the general 
tone of the preaching, that marked difference which 
that same author would have us to suppose is so 
strong ?—There was a difference, but not such as he 
represents. 

In point of fact, to the one party has been at¬ 
tributed the manners and feelings of the nineteenth 
century, while, with regard to the other party, the 
manners and habits of the seventeenth century are 
characterized?—Surely; but at the same time it is 
right to observe, that there was a very marked and 
glaring distinction between the character of the 
ministers of the one denomination and of the other, 
at the period referred to ; and in my comprehension, 
the description given by Bishop Burnet, who could 
scarcely be suspected of undue partiality to Presby¬ 
terians, is in some respects one of the most candid 
which is to be found. The strictest Presbyterian, 
in his anxiety to defend the outraged and insulted 
character of his forefathers, may almost be content 
to refer to such an honest chronicler as Burnet. He 
owns, that the Presbyterian ministers who were 
turned out of their livings in 1662, were grave, 
solemn, diligent, and faithful, whereas the new 
incumbents put in the places of the ejected preachers 
were generally very mean and despicable, the worst 
preachers he ever heard, ignorant to a reproach, 
many of them openly vicious, a disgrace to their 
order, and to the sacred functions, and indeed the 
dreg and refuse of the northern parts. 

The effect produced by legislation upon the moral 
and religious habits of the people of the Lowlands 
0 2 


APPENDIX. 


]**« 

of Scotland has been stated by you up to the year 
of 1730; will you be so good as to continue your 
statement with reference to later periods ?—I am not 
able to ascertain that some of the practices to which 
I have referred, particularly those of searching the 
more populous districts of the parishes, in towns 
especially, during the time of Divine service, and 
calling the absentees to account for their neglect of 
religious duty, and for their profanation of the Sab 
bath, continued later than the year 1730: I hav 
been able to trace it down only to that period. 

Do you know when the Sabbath ceased to be 
observed with the same strictness and solemnity by 
which it had been so long distinguished in Scotland ? 
—I have reason to think that a very considerable 
change for the worse, took place more than forty 
years ago. I have not the same certain sources of 
information with regard to the period which inter¬ 
vened between the years 1730 and 1780. 

But from the period of more than forty years 
ago, is it your opinion that there has been a gradual 
falling off in the observance of that day ?—Yes, I 
think so, from many conversations which I have had 
with most intelligent persons, both those who are 
ministers of the Church, and other pious individuals 
throughout the country ; and I perceive, in a curious 
paper published by the late Mr. Creech, an eminent 
bookseller, and at one time chief magistrate of 
Edinburgh (which may be seen in the Statistical 
Account of Scotland,) that in Edinburgh particular¬ 
ly, the defection was very strongly marked about 
the year 1783. Mr. Creech contrasts the religious 
and moral character of the towns-people in 1763 
with that of 1783, in the following terms:— 

“ In 1763, it was fashionable to go to church, and 


APPENDIX. 


187 


people were interested about religion. Sunday was 
strictly observed by all ranks as a day of devotion, 
and it was disgraceful to be seen in the streets during 
the time of public worship. Families attended 
church with their children and servants, and family 
worship was frequent. In 1783, attendance on 
church was greatly neglected, especially by the 
men ; Sunday was by many made a day of relaxa¬ 
tion, and young people were allowed to stroll about 
at all hours. Families thought it ungenteel to take 
their domestics to church with them. The streets 
were far from being void of people in the time of 
public worship, and in the evenings were frequently 
loose and riotous, particularly owing to bands of 
apprentice boys and young lads. Family worship 
was almost disused. In no respect were the man¬ 
ners of 1763 and 1783 more remarkable, than in 
the decency, dignity, and delicacy of the one period, 
compared with the looseness, dissipation, and licen¬ 
tiousness of the other. Many people ceased to 
blush at what would formerly have been reproved as 
a crime. 

“In 1763, masters took charge of their appren¬ 
tices, and kept them under their eye in their own 
houses. In 1783, few masters would receive ap¬ 
prentices to stay in their houses ; and yet from them 
an important part of succeeding society is to be 
formed : if they attended their hours of business, 
masters took no further charge. The rest of the 
time might be passed (as too frequently happens) in 
vice and debauchery; hence they become idle, 
insolent, and dishonest. In 1791, the practice had 
become still more prevalent. Reformation of 
manners, to be general or effectual, must begin in 
families. 


188 


APPENDIX. 


“ In 1763, the clergy visited, catechised, and 
instructed the families within their respective parish¬ 
es, in the principles of morality, Christianity, and 
the relative duties of life. In 1783, visiting and 
catechising were disused (except by a very few,) and 
since continue to be so; nor perhaps would the 
clergy now be received with welcome on such an 
occasion. 

“ In 1763, the question respecting the morality of 
stage-plays was much agitated. By those who 
attended the theatre even without scruple, Saturday 
night was thought the most improper in the week 
for going to the play. In 1783, the morality of 
stage-plays, or their effects on society, were not 
thought of. The practice of taking a box for the 
Saturday night through the season, was much prac¬ 
tised by boarding-mistresses, so that there could be 
no choice of the play, but the young ladies could 
only take what was set before them by the manager. 
The galleries never failed to applaud what they for¬ 
merly would have hissed, as improper in sentiment 
or decorum. 

“In 1763, hair-dressers were few, and hardly 
permitted to dress hair on Sundays, and many of 
them voluntarily declined it. In 1783, hair-dressers 
were more than trebled in number, and their busiest 
day was Sunday. 

“ In 1763, the revenue arising from the distillery 
in Scotland amounted to 4,739Z. In 1783, to 
192;000Z. 

“In no respect was the sobriety and decorum of 
the lower ranks in 1763 more remarkable, than by 
contrasting them with the riot and licentiousness of 
1783, particularly on Sundays and holidays.” 

As a proof that the profanation of the Sabbath 


APPENDIX. 


18& 


nad been increasing in Scotland before the year 
1794, it may be mentioned that the General Assem¬ 
bly of that year thought it necessary to publish an 
admonition on the subject; and in 1795 the General 
Assembly evidently entertained an opinion that some 
new legislative enactment had become necessary ; 
for the records bear, that “ the Assembly instructed 
the procurator to watch the introduction of any Bill 
respecting the due observation of the Lord’s day; to 
correspond with the introducer of such Bill; to trans¬ 
mit to him a copy of the admonition and informa¬ 
tion on the subject, published by authority of the last 
Assembly; and to request his particular attention to 
the state of Scotland respecting that subject.” 

Can you assign the causes which appear to have 
been instrumental in producing this change?—I 
think that one of the causes to which I may refer, 
is that which has been recently adverted to, namely, 
the relaxation of the discipline of the church. An¬ 
other cause I conceive to have been the progressive 
decline of Scriptural instruction throughout the 
schools in Scotland. I think another cause must 
have been the increased communication with Eng¬ 
land and Ireland, and the gradual introduction of 
new habits in consequence of that more frequent in¬ 
tercourse. Another powerful cause I conceive to 
have been the influence of infidel publications, and 
the substitution of frivolous reading, for the grave 
and improving instruction conveyed in the writings 
of the popular divines, with which the peasantry of 
Scotland, as well as the mechanics in towns, had 
previously been very familiar. Another source of 
this change I conceive to have been the ensnaring of 
men of rank and official station. I beg also to men- 
:ion, in some cases, probably, though I trust not 


190 


APPENDIX 


generally, the decreasing attention to the practice of 
parochial visitation by the ministers of parishes. But 
on this head I must observe, that this decreasing at¬ 
tention must not always be considered as having been 
the fault of the ministers. It was found that persons 
of higher station, in many districts of the country, 
were often of a different creed from the established 
church, and therefore they were not so accessible to 
the ministers as their predecessors had generally 
been in former times; at the same time many of the 
laboring classes in populous districts had seceded 
from the church, not only in consequence of dissat¬ 
isfaction with the ministrations of the established 
clergy, or in consequence of a conviction that the 
church had degenerated, but very much because they 
had not sufficient accommodation in the parish 
churches, a circumstance to which I shall advert un¬ 
der another head. When so great a proportion both 
of the higher and of the lower ranks, ceased to be 
members of the establishment, it is natural to sup¬ 
pose that the visits of the ministers, though not al¬ 
together discontinued, would be less efficacious. I 
may add, that at about the period to which I refer, 
a great change took place in the distribution of 
the population of Scotland, partly in consequence 
of the enlargement of farms, and partly from the 
introduction of machinery both in the operations of 
agriculture and the other arts. In connexion with 
this, I beg to advert to the neglect, as I must con¬ 
sider it, of the government of the country, to pro¬ 
vide sufficient accommodation in churches for the 
rapidly increasing population, and also to provide 
adequately for the education of the poor. I may 
also take notice of a circumstance which must have 
materially affected the observance of the Sabbath 


APPENDIX. 


191 


namely, tha close confinement and severe labor of 
persons (both children and adults) employed in man¬ 
ufactories during the week, tempting them to seek 
for relaxation on the Lord’s day. I think I may also 
add, as one of the occasions of Sabbath profana¬ 
tion, the turn for political discussion among all classes 
of people, which was introduced during the Ameri¬ 
can war, and still more at the time of the French 
revolution, and which abstracted the minds even of 
some of the most sober, quiet, and peaceable of the 
population from those more momentous subjects 
which had previously occupied a greater share of 
their attention. I think another very powerful cause 
of the lamentable change that took place, was the 
influence of military habits during the war which 
began in 1793, particularly during the early period 
of that war. Towns and villages were generally 
crowded with troops ; there was much consequent 
depravity among their juvenile companions, both 
male and female; Sunday evening parades were 
almost universal, wherever troops were stationed; 
there were performances of martial music on the 
evening of the Lord’s day, attracting great crowds 
of people from their houses; this was often followed 
by adjournment to taverns, or to equally ensnaring 
rural walks under the cloud of night; and to the 
associations that were thus formed, I believe many 
may date the corruption of their principles and 
habits; and the general tendency of the circum¬ 
stances to which I have now alluded, was greatly to 
familiarize the people of Scotland to a mode of ob¬ 
serving the Sabbath altogether different from that to 
which they had been accustomed in earlier times. 
As another source of the change to which I have 
referred, I may state what must already be under 


192 


APPENDIX. 


the view of the committee, the facilities of travel¬ 
ling consequent on the improvement of roads, the 
multiplication of public conveyances, the frequency 
of communication by post, and, at a later period, the 
introduction of steam navigation. With regard to 
stage-coaches, it may be right to notice that the 
practice of travelling in stage-coaches in Scotland 
on the Lord’s day (with the exception of the mail,) 
has hitherto prevailed to a very limited extent, but 
1 observe it creeping in Edinburgh in a form which 
I rather apprehend may prevent that check being 
imposed on it, which in other circumstances would 
probably be thought necessary. I find, that among 
the inhabitants of the town, whose families in sum¬ 
mer resort to villages and small towns in the neigh¬ 
borhood, for sea-bathing or other purposes, a num¬ 
ber are in the habit of coming to Edinburgh on the 
morning of the Sabbath in stage-coaches. As the 
object of travelling on those occasions appears to be 
a good one, I suspect that it may in this way be al¬ 
lowed gradually and almost insensibly to be intro¬ 
duced to a much greater extent than it would Other¬ 
wise have been. 

I may also take notice of the great change which 
is taking place in the mode of living in Scotland, 
particularly among people in business, who formerly 
were in the habit of taking their servants and ap¬ 
prentices to church along with them, and also of 
exercising a strict inspection over their conduct 
catechising and otherwise instructing them in the 
evenings of the Sabbath, but who now too often al¬ 
low them to wander as they will. A very great evil 
has been experienced in Edinburgh, and I believe in 
many other large towns, in consequence of the lib¬ 
erty of visiting and walking, which is almost uni- 


AFPENDIX. 


193 


versally allowed to servants on Sundays, by their 
masters and mistresses, who do not seem to recol¬ 
lect that that is a day which God has appropriated 
to himself, and which is not at the disposal of any 
human being. I might here notice, as a cause of 
Sabbath profanation, the great multiplication of pub¬ 
lic houses, and the facility of gratifying intemperate 
propensities in consequence of the lowering of the 
duty on spirits. But I have no doubt these circum¬ 
stances must be fully under the view of the commit¬ 
tee. The only other particular which I shall men¬ 
tion as a cause of the profanation of the Sabbath, is 
the great increase of newspaper and other periodical 
publications, which are sometimes printed on the 
Sunday, and which are very generally read by va¬ 
rious classes of people on that day, so as to with¬ 
draw them from those religious exercises which are 
the proper occupation of the Christian Sabbath, as 
well as constituents of the purest enjoyment. 

Is it a fact that any periodicals are printed and 
published in Edinburgh on the Sunday ?—The fact 
is, that there are no periodicals published of any 
class in Edinburgh on the Sunday, so far as I know, 
but some of the newspapers which are published on 
Monday morning, are printed on the Sunday, or at 
least occasionally in a great measure printed on that 
day. I shall state two facts which came to my know¬ 
ledge very recently, as illustrative of that subject. 
About nine months ago, a person who regularly at¬ 
tends my church, applied to me for the baptism of 
his child. Having reason to believe that the man 
was of a good character, and regular in the discharge 
of all the private duties of life, I could have no ob¬ 
jection to administer the ordinance, except one, and 
't was this, that he was not a communicant. I ask(Ml 
R 


194 


APPENDIX i 


him how it was that he lived in the neglect of that 
religious duty; he stated to me that he had the strong¬ 
est impression of the divine obligation of every pro¬ 
fessing Christian to keep up the remembrance of the 
death of Christ in that solemn ordinance, but he felt 
that from the mode of life which he pursued, he was 
in his own apprehension not warranted to avail him¬ 
self of that privilege. Asking him what he meant, 
I was told, that being a printer, he was habitually 
required to work on the Lord’s day ; though he felt 
the greatest scruple of conscience, he had never ven¬ 
tured to give up his employment, and on that ac¬ 
count alone he declined to become a communicant. 
On making further inquiry, I found that a very con¬ 
siderable number of persons are employed in that 
way almost every Lord’s day, not during the whole 
day, but beginning soon after divine service is over 
in the evening, about five or six o’clock; thus being 
altogether abstracted from the charge and inspec¬ 
tion of a young family, and thus being also tempted 
to spend a part of that day in sleep, which other¬ 
wise they would be disposed to spend in attendance 
upon their religious duties. The effect of it upon 
many, must be to withdraw them altogether from 
attendance upon divine ordinances. I beg just to 
state another case, which shows that the evil has 
gone as far north as Inverness. Within these last 
three weeks, as being a member of the Society in 
Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge, I 
was applied to by a man to be examined, with a view 
to an appointment as a teacher under that society. 
1 asked whether he had been accustomed to teach ; 
Jie told me no, he had been a printer, but he could 
not continue in the employment in which he had 
been engaged for the last ten years nearly, because 


APPENDIX. 


195 


he was now required either to work on the Lord’s 
day, or else to give up his employment; and this 
person was employed on a newspaper which is print¬ 
ed only weekly, on the Tuesday. 

Is it not your opinion, then, that the publication 
of periodicals on the Monday morning, tends greatly 
to the breach of the Sabbath in Edinburgh ?—They 
tend, I think, in a considerable degree. 

Can you give any information in regard to the 
practice of delivering letters and papers at the gene¬ 
ral Post-office in Edinburgh on the Sabbath-day ?— 
It is not carried, by any means, to a great extent in 
Edinburgh : the time is very limited; I think there 
are two hours in the day at which persons may have 
letters by calling for them, but I scarcely think there 
is any town in Scotland where there is less of the 
delivery of letters on the Sabbath than there is in 
Edinburgh. 

Have you any remarks to make upon newspapers, 
or periodicals that are usually read on the Sunday ?— 
The injurious effect of the practice must be so obvi¬ 
ous, that I scarcely think it necessary to make any 
remark, except this, that I have observed of late that 
some publications have been introduced with a view 
of obviating the evils arising from that kind of read¬ 
ing, and I am rather apprehensive that some of the 
very papers which have been intended to counteract 
the evil, may prove a cause of extending it, for 1 
observe one paper in particular which set out pro¬ 
fessedly as a paper calculated to convey religious 
instruction, which, on examination, I perceive con¬ 
sists now, whatever it might have done at first, chiefly 
of extracts from books which are the very reverse 
of religious. 

It being well known that there is no Sunday de- 


196 


APPENDIX. 


livery of letters at all events in London, might not 
the same practice be observed at the post-offices in 
Scotland, without consequences injurious to the com¬ 
munity ?—Most certainly; and I think it most desi¬ 
rable that there should be no such thing. But 1 may 
state, as this question has been asked, that in many 
of the towns in Scotland the letters are distributed 
on the Sunday; I mean they are carried about in 
the same manner as they are on other days; and, 
jideed, in many places of the country, they are much 
more delivered on that day than on any other; for 
people living at a distance from post towns, when 
they go to church, avail themselves of that opportu¬ 
nity of getting probably all the letters that have been 
sent for them during the week. Not having antici¬ 
pated any inquiries on this subject, I cannot be very 
exact in point of dates; but in looking lately at the 
Acts of the General Assembly, about the year 1759, 
I noticed that there had been strong remonstrances 
against the travelling of the post in Scotland, when 
it was first introduced; and I have also learnt from 
some of the magazines, that petitions against that 
innovation were sent to government from many 
places, and particularly from Glasgow, the greatest 
commercial town in Scotland. This was perhaps one 
of the first modes jn which government, during the 
last century, not only countenanced, but to a certain 
extent enjoined, the violation of the rest of the Sab¬ 
bath in Scotland. 

****** 

Do you, by the decline of Scriptural education, 
allude to the departure from the old Scottish system 
of making the Bible the first school-book ?—I allude 
to the partial cessation of the practice of making the 


APPENDIX. 


19" 


Bible one of the books always read in the schools 
for the common branches of education. 

You are aware that in the poorer part of the coun¬ 
try, or among the poorer members of a school, if 
there was no other book, the children had at least 
the Bible even to learn to spell upon ?—That does 
not come within my knowledge; I am not aware of 
any part of the country in which no other book ia 
used than the Bible; but I know that the common 
practice formerly was to begin to learn to read in the 
Shorter Catechism, then the Book of Proverbs, then 
the New Testament, and lastly the whole Bible. I 
never knew any children learn to read more rapidly 
than in that way. I was so taught myself. This 
method has many advantages. Children, instead of 
wasting their time in spelling unmeaning syllables, 
can from the first, attach a signification to every 
sound. The sound is from the first moment a ve¬ 
hicle of important truth. Good principles are thus 
associated with the very dawn of tuition. With chil¬ 
dren who are thus taught, reading is not merely the 
preparation for acquiring future instruction through 
the medium of letters, it is all along the direct means 
of communicating sound and saving instruction, with¬ 
out any alloy of error. I hope I shall not be accused 
of wandering from the question, if I take this oppor¬ 
tunity of remarking, that what has often been called 
the mother wit of the people of Scotland, had its 
origin in the practice of reading the Proverbs of 
Solomon, which formerly might well be called by 
every child in the Lowlands, “ the law of his mo¬ 
ther,” for the mother was for the most part the in¬ 
structress, and it was quite practicable for the mother 
to superintend this part of her children’s education, 
without suspending the ordinary occupations of do. 
R 2 


108 


APPENDIX. 


mestic industry: she could sew or knit, and at the 
same time hear her children read, without almost 
any risk of suffering a mistake to pass unnoticed, 
because the only books employed, the Old and New 
Testaments, were those with which her familiarity 
had been daily increasing, in consequence of ther 
constant practice of reading a chapter morning and 
evening in family worship. It was equally impossi¬ 
ble for her to suffer any blunder, in reading the 
Shorter Catechism, to pass undetected and unchal¬ 
lenged : this was the first book; and though it is 
often alleged to be unintelligible to children, I know 
well from experience and long observation, that it is 
not unprofitable to have it indelibly imprinted on the 
memory. I have great satisfaction in remembering 
that the first lesson which I learnt was not a series 
of insignificant, syllables or a string of idle words, 
but this great and fundamental principle, “ Man’s 
chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for 
ever.” And the second was not less important: “ The 
word of God, contained in the Old and New Testa¬ 
ments, is the only rule given to direct us how we 
may glorify and enjoy him.” I do not know how 
mere prudential maxims, or rules of morality, can 
be satisfactorily and securely established, otherwise 
than on the basis of Scripture; but I hold it to be 
the first duty of every man who believes in divine 
revelation, to impress on all his fellow-creatures the 
momentous principle which I have just recited, and 
which I think sufficiently intelligible by a little child, 
that all the worth and happiness attainable in time, 
and all the hopes of eternal life, are gained by the 
knowledge and belief of the Word of God. 


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